


Cuy Ogir’olar

by ClandestineCat



Category: Star Wars, The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV) - Fandom
Genre: Anger is Paz’s coping mechanism, Din Needs Friends, Din is precious, Eventual Din/Paz But it’ll be a bit, Foundlings, Helpful Paz, Injured Din, Little Din is precious, Loner Din Djarin, Mandalorians - Freeform, Mando’a, Misunderstood Din Djarin, OCs as Foundlings and Trainees, We need more young Din, Young Din Djarin, Young Paz Vizla
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:00:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22308310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClandestineCat/pseuds/ClandestineCat
Summary: Din was taken in by the Mandalorians when he was eight. He had been taken from the bunker he was hidden in, and airlifted away from the burning remnants of his own town, the red robes of his parents’ mangled bodies seemingly standing out in stark contrast to the rest of the dull brown of the town.When everything he knew and loved was taken from him, how was he supposed to let himself make new friends? How could he allow himself to grow close to others, if they could be taken away again?Maybe it was best not to.And maybe, other Trainees disagreed. Cue Paz Vizla and the other Trainees!
Relationships: Din Djarin & OCs, Din Djarin & Paz Vizla, Din Djarin/Paz Vizla, Mandalorian/Paz Vizla
Comments: 206
Kudos: 505





	1. Foundlings

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, well, my body decided to get sick the other day, and while I was lying there in all my misery... I realized Din Djarin And Paz Vizla would be an amazing ship. Now, before, I just shipped Din and Omera, but it seemed too good to disregard, so I decided to check and see if anyone else had written about these two. I was not disappointed! There are several amazing fics on them, and I loved it! However, I’m not one for smut and there weren’t as many without that... I also really wanted more insight on Paz and Din as younger Trainees. I sorta thought about writing some myself, but put it off, but then I fell in love with the idea of Foundling Din and Clan-born Paz becoming friends, and I had too, so this is the result. I’m sorry, this is getting long, but I hope y’all enjoy!

Paz walked through the dimly lit halls of the covert on his way to the room reserved for new Foundlings, clutching a tray filled with bowls of stew. A few squads had just returned from various missions, and several new Foundlings had been acquired. His buir had asked him to bring them food, to help them get settled in.

When squads found lone children on missions, it was customary for them to take them in, protect them from the battles and bloodshed. After they finished their mission, they would search for any family members who could take in the child or children. For the most part, they were successful. But some unlucky ade had no one, no parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, family friends; some had no one left to take them in and raise them. These children were taken back to the covert to be adopted into a clan, raised and trained by the Mandalorians. 

Paz felt a small, involuntary shiver that he quickly tried to suppress. He was glad he never had to deal with that. He was born and raised a Mandalorian, and proud of it. He never had to deal with the horror of seeing his family die, of having no one. He had his clan to take care of him, and the whole tribe as well. He empathized with the children who didn’t, but with any luck a clan would adopt them soon.

Rounding a final corner, Paz stepped into the Foundling’s Quarters. A Mandalorian woman got up to meet him in the doorway; the newer Foundlings were always kept under close watch for the first couple of weeks, before being moved into the dorm area. Once there, they would sleep, eat, and train with the other Younglings of the tribe, both Foundlings and Clan Born. 

“For the Foundlings?” The Mandalorian asked, nodding at the tray in Paz’s hands.

“Yes, Mij.” Paz nodded respectfully to the older Mandalorian. Glancing up, he could see a few curious faces looking at him from the cots over her shoulder.

“Good. Come, seeing someone closer to their age may calm their nerves.” Mij turned and began to walk over to the cluster of cots containing the Foundlings. Paz followed, tray in hand.

There were three in total, which was strange as he had five bowls. Normally he’d be given one for each of the Foundlings, and one for him. There was a possibility the fifth was for Mij, but that was unlikely. There was no way she’d take off her helmet to eat until after her shift. Paz shrugged his shoulders, and began to approach them cautiously. He knew how easily frightened new Foundlings could be, and he didn’t want to scare them.

“I have some stew for you. It’s a bit hot, but it tastes great. It’s one of my favorites.” He spoke gently as he knelt in front of them, setting down the tray so he could pass out the bowls. Two of the Foundlings sat on the same cot, clutching each other tightly. Judging by their closeness, as well as their matching blond hair hand blue-green eyes, he assumed they were siblings, brother and sister. He handed each a bowl, and they took it gratefully.

Turning to the left, he looked at the other Foundling. It was an older boy, with green eyes and a shock of red hair. He seemed wary of Paz, but accepted the offered bowl nonetheless with a nod of thanks.

Sitting back on his heels, Paz grabbed a bowl for himself. He was about to dig in when Mij cleared her throat from where she was standing off to the right, giving him room to interact with the Foundlings on his own. Turning his head, he was surprised to see another person in the room. A little ways away was another boy with dark hair and equally dark eyes, regarding him silently from a cot of his own. He was wearing a bright red robe that contrasted the dull grey of the floor and walls greatly; Paz wondered how he could have missed him to begin with.

“I’m sorry, I guess I didn’t see you.” Paz grabbed the last bowl from the tray, standing and walking over to the boy. “Here you go. It’s good.”

The boy’s dark eyes lingered on Paz’s face for a few long moments, seemingly searching for something. Before Paz could decide what to do, the boy’s eyes flickered back to the bowl. Tentatively reaching out, the Foundling took the bowl and began to eat. Paz smiled to himself, returning to his own meal by the other Foundlings.

  
They all finished eating fairly quickly, setting their bowls aside and sitting in silence. The boy in red was still silently regarding the others, and had yet to move closer. That was fine, Paz wasn’t going to push him. However, the other Foundlings seemed considerably more calm, even the red-headed boy. Paz decided to break the ice the way he normally did, by introducing himself.

“Well, I’m Paz and I’m nine. It’s nice to meet you all. Is it okay if I ask your names?” He looked expectantly over to the cot containing the two blond Foundlings. He figured they seemed most likely to speak first out of the batch.

The two were quiet, the girl looking down shyly. Paz was about to give up hope of a response when she suddenly rose her head to meet his eyes. “I’m Mera.” She spoke quietly, nervous. “And I’m seven.”

“Jahno.” Said the boy. “We’re twins. But I’m older, by three whole minutes.” Mera wrinkled her nose, and Paz grinned. Well, two down. Two to go.

“And you?” Paz glanced over at the red-headed boy who was now watching the other two inquisitively. At Paz’s voice, he snapped back to attention.

“Kal. I’m ten.”

Paz nodded in acknowledgement, before slowly turning to regard the last boy. Dark eyes met his, and the boy quickly shook his head. Paz internally sighed, but decided to let the boy be. If he didn’t want to talk, so be it.

“So... where are we?” Paz looked back around at Mera. She seemed to be slowly relaxing, the previous shock of being taken from wherever and brought here by strangers leaving. Paz grinned at her and answered.

“You’re in a Mandalorian covert.” He explained. “Mandalorians are a fierce warrior people, the best of the best. We live in a tribe, where everyone takes care of one another, even those we don’t like. Trainees like me learn how to fight, to protect ourselves and each other. Older Mandalorians go out and take care of the rest of the tribe. They fight bad guys, and get money and food and stuff, to help. Some of them bring back Foundlings; that’s what you are.  
When a Mandalorian squad is on a mission and find a child with no one to take care of it, they bring them back to the covert. That way, the tribe can take care of them, and teach them to be a Mandalorian, to protect themselves and others.”

Mera nodded in understanding, a sad expression crossing her face. “Our mommy went missing a few days ago. She went to get food, but she never came back. Then the fighting started. We were really scared, but some Mandorins-”

“Mandalorians” Her brother corrected with a smile.

“That’s what I _said_.” She scrunched up her face indignantly. “The Mandalorians found us and brought us here.”

Her brother nodded in confirmation, hugging his sister tighter. Paz smiled sadly at the two. Likely, their mother had been mugged and killed. He’d heard some of those planets got awfully nasty when the war reached them. It wasn’t an uncommon story amongst Foundlings. He was once again very glad he had all of his clan with him, here at the covert. His buir were safe at least.

“I’ve been an orphan for four years now. I’ve lived on the streets, by myself. But when the fighting broke out, the Mandalorians found me and brought me back with them.” Paz made a sympathetic noise for Kal, wondering how he’d survived so long on his own. How could anyone stand not having a loyal tribe to help raise them?

Jahno seemed to be having the same sort of train of thought. “So, Who will take care of us now? If our parents are gone, who’s gonna take care of us?”

“Well,” Paz began. “The tribe will take care of you. If you’re lucky, a clan will adopt you and raise you as one of its own.”

At their questioning looks, he elaborated. “A clan is sorta like a family of Mandalorians. It’s close relatives, like parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces, nephews. The whole lot. Some clans will adopt a Foundling into their family, and raise them as their own child. The tribe is made up of all the clans, and you can tell them apart by their sigils. That’s a special mark that you earn that’s put on your armor.”

The Foundlings nodded in understanding, taking a moment to contemplate the new information. “So, if someone adopts me, they’re gonna adopt Jahno too, right?” Mera looked a bit worried, glancing between Paz and her brother. Jahno looked just as uncertain, though he was doing his best to hide it.

“Yes, if you are adopted I’m sure he will be too. No Mandalorian would purposefully separate siblings, that would be cruel.” Mera let out a sigh of relief, and smiled at her brother.

Paz and the Foundlings continued to talk for a while, until Mera let out a big yawn. Jahno smiled sleepily, shifting so she could lay down more comfortably on their cot. Looking around, Paz realized how tired all of them seemed. Even Kal’s eyes were drooping with exhaustion. 

“I better let you guys get some sleep. You’ve had a long day.” The three settled down to sleep, their snores quickly filling the room as Paz got up to leave.

He was heading for the door, when he got a prickling sensation down his spine, like he was being watched. Quickly turning, he saw the Foundling boy with the red cloak watching him from his secluded cot. Glancing at Mij, he silently asked for permission to stay. After all, it was getting late. He smiled when she gave a nod, and headed for the boy. 

Sitting in front of the cot, he took a moment to take in the Foundling before him. The boy’s tan skin complemented his dark hair and eyes nicely, as did his red robe. Smiling, Paz tried to make casual conversation with the other kid. 

“Hello, I’m Paz.”

The boy nodded, wearing the same straight-faced expression he’d had when Paz first saw him. He had probably heard Paz introduce himself when he was talking to the other Foundlings. Taking a deep breath, Paz decided not to let the boy’s silence deter him.

“I’m nine, and I’m training to be a Mandalorian. Can you tell me your name?” Holding his breath, Paz waited to see if he’d get a response. There was a moment of silence, and then...

“I- I’m Din.” The boy spoke so softly, it was almost a whisper. “I’m eight.”

Paz grinned. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Din. I am so, very honored to make your acquaintance.”

Paz swore he saw the faintest ghost of a smile, but it was gone as quick as it came. He wasn’t sure if it had even really been there in the first place. Looking into Din’s eyes, he decided it was. He wasn’t sure why, but he thought something seemed lighter in the chocolatey depths.

“Paz.”

Paz glanced up at Mij, who gave a pointed look at the door. Paz winced. It was surely way past when he was supposed to be out. He needed to get back to his clan. 

“Well, I’ll see you later Din. I’ve gotta go now.”

Getting up, Paz began the walk back to his clan’s quarters. He could have sworn he felt those dark brown eyes following him all the way to the door. 


	2. Trainees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din continues to be a loner, but a training incident may lead to closer bonds than he was comfortable with. Din may want to avoid close relationships, but others do not.
> 
> Also, Paz’s temper causes him to struggle with conversations when it comes to quiet, serious Din.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another chapter, and it’s quite a bit longer. There’s more depth to Din’s thoughts here, and the story starts to progress further. I don’t know that I’ll start really pushing Din/Paz until the later years with Baby Yoda and all, but I do want some cute moments as Trainees and young Mandalorians that foreshadow it While I lead up to it. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to leave it in the comments and I’ll take it into consideration! (That is, if anyone makes it this far into my fic. I have my doubts)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

_9 months later_

Din sat on his bunk, polishing his training armor after a long day of classes. The Trainee’s Quarters was a long room filled with bunks, but less than half of them were currently occupied. There weren’t that many Trainees to begin with, and several had been sorted into their occupational training groups a couple of months ago. Therefore, there was lots of open space, which meant Din was easily able to pick a bunk away from everyone else. While all the others clustered in the bunks near the door, he was near the middle of the room away from everyone else. It was better.

Hearing shouts and laughter, Din looked up. A little ways down the room, a group of Trainees were gathered around a pair locked in an arm wrestling match. He could make out the twin blond heads of Mera and Jahno, side by side watching the match. Kal was a little ways away, and seemed like he was making a bet with another Trainee. Searching the group, he realized he could also recognize Paz- he was one of the arm wrestlers.

Glancing back down, Din continued his work. He and the others didn’t speak much to begin with, when he, Mera, Jahno, and Kal were all Foundlings together. It was even less so after the others started being adopted into clans. 

Mera and Jahno were the first to go, about a month after they started their training. Kal took a little while longer, but after helping out some Mandalorian in a training mishap (a reprogrammed droid gone haywire) the impressed Mando had taken him in. Din on the other hand, was a different story. He was sure to lay low, and keep a low profile. If he didn’t stand out, no one would notice him. If he wasn’t noticed, he wouldn’t be adopted. Adoption just meant getting attached, only to lose what he had gained later on. Even if was adopted, surely his new family would think they had made a mistake, and try to give him back, right? Din didn’t need to be given a family just to have it taken away again. No, he was just fine on his own. He didn’t need a clan.

In the end, Din had gotten what he wanted. After the first to weeks of staying in the Foundling’s Quarters, keeping away from new kids and staying out of sight when clan members visited, he was allowed to move to the Trainee’s Quarters and begin his training. After that, it was smooth sailing. With the war bringing in the occasional new Foundlings combined with him being out of sight of most adults, people pretty much forgot about him. He was like a ghost, a shadow of the other Trainees. No one was the wiser that he was clanless. And no one had to know. 

Din was shaken from his thoughts at another raucous bout of ‘whoops’, laughter, and cheering. Looking up once again, he saw Paz standing amid the throng of Trainees, fists lifted in the air as he grinned at his victory. His opponent slouched in their chair as the other trainees patted Paz on the back, Kal eagerly accepting something that looked suspiciously like a cookie as payment from the Trainee he was betting with.

“Who’s next? Who shall be brave enough to challenge the almighty Paz in the next arm-wrestle competition!?” Paz let out another ‘whoop’ as a contestant stepped forward, much to the delight of the watching crowd.

With a small huff of amusement and a roll of his eyes, Din continued his work. He hadn’t really heard from Paz much either, outside of training. But then again, that was normal for Din. He didn’t really talk to anyone, and Paz had lots of more exciting people to talk to. There was no need for him to waste time on Din. It was better that way, Din thought. No attachments meant no one to lose. Better.

“Kal, make sure you follow through. Paz, open up your stance a little more, you look like a punch’ll knock you over. Mera, make sure you throw you’re whole body weight into it. You’re significantly smaller, but that doesn’t mean you have to let your opponent push you around.”

Silas, their trainer, walked up and down the rows of sparring trainees. His golden accents on his black armor made him look somehow more intimidating then his strong build and deep voice already was. 

“Davin, what’d I say about using anything other than your fists and feet? No shocking your opponent, this is training for kriff’s sakes. Briike, watch your left side, you’re leaving yourself open to attack!”

Din took a deep breath, trying to remember all he’d been taught. He didn’t want to call attention to himself by being yelled at by the trainer. Ducking a blow from Jahno, he rolled passed, popped up, and swept his opponent’s legs out from under him. Silas walked by with a nod of approval, before continuing on. Din let out a sigh of relief before extending his hand for Jahno to take.

“Sorry, you looked like you went down a little hard. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Jahno gave a quick nod, his white-accented blue helmet bobbing down and up again. “S’all good. Nice move.”

“Thanks.” Finished with their spar, the two looked around at the other groups. Jahno let out a cheer as Mera grabbed her opponents punch, using their momentum to flip them over herself to land on their back.

“Wooo! Nice one, Mera!” Turning her head, she rose her hand to her helmet (identical to Jahno’s, but with purple instead of blue) and gave a small salute to her brother before heading over.

“Hey Jahno, Din. Enjoying the shows?” By her cheerful sounding voice, Din would guess she’s grinning under her helmet. She had every right to be, after all. She had just taken down an opponent almost a head taller than her.

“You know it!” Came her brother’s equally cheerful response. He was probably grinning too.

Glancing around, Din assessed the other fights. Kal had just lost his, but was being a rather good sport about it, even asking for advice from his opponent. Briike had grabbed Davin’s foot and thrown him off balance, throwing him to the ground and winning her own fight. Paz and his opponent seemed pretty equally matched, both strongly built and about the same height as well. However, as Din watched, Paz dodged a blow with surprising speed, and aimed a quick kick at the legs while his opponent was still off balanced from his punch. His sparring partner crashed to the ground with an audible ‘oof’, leaving Paz victorious. Din looked away as the blue helmet’s visor lifted to look at him and the other Trainees clustered about. There was no need to make accidental eye contact, and inadvertently start a conversation with one of the most popular Trainees. Nu uh, no way was he going to draw that much attention to himself. Besides, Paz wouldn’t want to talk to a quiet nobody like Din anyway.

“Alright, that’s enough for today everyone. Let’s get some dinner, tomorrow we’ll start with target practice.”

Thankful for Silas’s dismissal, Din headed to grab his dinner.

Din stood in the training room, setting up one of the targets that had used for target practice earlier that morning. His face burned with shame when he thought back to his poor performance, and the reprimand he had received for it. He had barely made even a few bullseyes out of all the shots he took. Other Foundlings were hitting the target dead on every time.

_“Din! Are you training to be a Mandalorian or a prissy senator? This is nearly your ninth full month of training, your aim should be better than this by now. If you wanna be a Mandalorian, you need to pick up the slack.”_

Gritting his teeth, Din aimed at the target he set up, and fired. A little to far to the right. Again. Too high. Din gave a frustrated huff. He could almost still feel the sympathetic gazes of Mera, Briike, and Jahno, as well as the more delighted looks of the more sadistic Trainees. He was glad he was alone right now. The others were off at lunch, but he had trailed around and returned to the training room for extra practice. It wasn’t uncommon for him to do this. In fact, he did it every time he got called out for something negative during training sessions, as well as when he himself thought he could improve more with a skill. 

Sometimes, Trainers were pleasantly surprised when Din came into the next class with highly improved abilities. Other times, they were annoyed, thinking he had been holding back or messing with them when he had previously performed poorly in a skill. Unfortunately, this had happened several times, and each time he got another reprimand in front of the other Foundlings. 

Din figured this particular skill-practice would fall into the category of ‘other times’, assuming he was able to improve. But no one knew about his self-inflicted extra training, and he intended to keep it that way. He didn’t particularly care what the Trainers thought of him, or what they made the other Trainees think with their reprimands aimed at him. All he wanted was to become a Mandalorian, the best he could be. He wanted to go on missions, and provide for the people who had taken him in.

Staring down the target, Din fired. One, two, three, four, five. Shot one missed. Shot two was a little too the left. Shot three was dead one the bullseye. Shot four was a little to the right. Shot five looked half on, half off the bullseye. Din groaned in frustration with himself. He was almost nine whole months into training! He had turned nine two months ago, (not that anyone would have cared, so he kept it to himself) he was no longer the frightened little eight year old who had seen his village decimated, who had seen his parents mangled dead bodies lying on the ground as he was carried away from his troubles. He was Din Djarin, Foundling, Mandalorian Trainee. He should be better. 

Adjusting his stance, he tried again. One, two, three, the door slid open. Din jumped, spinning around to face the door. In it, was none other than Paz’s confused expression, black locks of hair falling over his forehead, and deep blue eyes flickering over the room.

“What’re you doing, shouldn’t you be at lunch?”

“Shouldn’t _you_?” Din retorted.

Paz gave a small smile. “I suppose you got me there. I was feeling a bit restless, decided to come punch a dummy.” 

Din’s body gave a sudden, involuntary jerk back in surprise that he quickly tried to suppress. But of course, Paz was one of the best Trainees there was. There was no way he wouldn’t notice it.

A slightly bewildered look crossed his face, quickly followed by a flash of understanding, and then a mixture of a disturbed shock and confusion.

“Nonono! A practice dummy. Why would I ever hit you?”

Taking in Paz’s earnest face, he cringed. He _knew_ that, but sometimes his instincts reacted before his brain could catch up. He gave Paz a small shrug in response.

“Anyway... you know you don’t have to wear the helmet all the time, right?” Paz still looked a little disturbed, but hid it well, replacing it with his curiosity of Din’s habit of wearing his helmet almost all the time.

Din nodded in response. Yes, he knew that too. But he liked the helmet. It was easier with the helmet on, no one else could decipher what he was feeling through his facial expressions. Granted, it’d been a while since he’d let any emotion show through in his facial expressions, but he preferred having the helmet as a fallback repercussion anyway.

Paz gave him one last assessing look, before regarding the training room once more. Taking in the set up target littered with blaster holes, and the blaster held firmly in Din’s hand, he seemed to suddenly understand.

“Are you practicing?”

Din stood stock still for a moment, before he gave another slow nod. There was no hiding it now, at least not from Paz. So much for the secrecy.

“If you want...” Paz seemed a little uncertain, a feeling Din didn’t know the older Foundling could have. “I- I could help you? I’m a pretty good shot, I could give you some pointers.”

Din silently thought through the proposition. After this morning’s training session, it wasn’t like he had much pride left to protect when it came to target practice. Paz was one of the better shots, and it wasn’t like he didn’t already know he was practicing in his free time anyway. A little reluctantly, Din responded.

“Ok.”

Paz grinned, coming over. “Let me see your stance. Hmm, if you readjust your grip here...”

They didn’t have too much longer to practice, but by the end of lunch hour Din had managed to hit the target’s bullseye seven times in a row, and counting. Checking the time, they decided to stop. While Paz went to put on his armor, Din busied himself with putting up the target he had been using. They would have a short session of hand-to-hand before returning to target practice. 

As the other Foundlings began to hustle into the training room, Din met Paz’s visored gaze. The older boy nodded in silent acknowledgement, before heading over to his own space. 

The sparring had gone well, for the most part. Din managed to take down Kal, and Paz swept the floor with Davin. Jahno had managed to overpower Mera, who was now playfully sulking next to her gloating brother. As the rest of the pairs finished up, Silas spoke.

“Alright Trainees. Last session for the day. I wanna see five clean shots from each one of you, one at a time. Everyone should be able to make at _least_ two bullseyes to be acceptable. Three is good, four is great, and five is excellent. We’ll start down the line, beginning with Davin.”

Davin was on the opposite side of the line, meaning Din would be last. That was probably for the better. Din and the others lined up across from their targets, preparing their blaster. As they watched. Davin made his five shots, with three direct hits to the bullseye. Next was Paz, who, of course, made every shot count. 

“Excellent, Paz!” Silas continued down the line. Before he knew it, it was Din’s own turn. As the Trainees turned to watch (there were a few snickers from Davin, audible even from down the room), Din brought up his blaster.

With a deep breath, he shot. Five clean, precise shots straight to the bullseye. The other Trainees were silent for a few moments, before Silas spoke.

“Trainee, do you think this is a joke?” Distantly, Din saw Paz’s helmeted blue head whip around to stare at him. “Do you think feigning helplessness is the best way for you to get attention? ‘Cause I’ll tell you right now, all that it’ll get you from Mandalorians is scorn and distrust. If we can’t trust you to train to your fullest ability, how can we trust you to have our backs in battle?”

Mera and Jahno seemed uncertain what to do, and sympathetic towards him. Paz looked helplessly confused, even with his helmet on, and Davin was outright cackling. Kal just looked mildly annoyed, along with a few of the other Trainees. Briike seemed to be trying to assess the situation for herself, glancing back and forth between Din and his target. 

“If you wanna play helpless, I’ll treat you like you’re helpless. If you think you should fake incompetence, I’ll play right along. Everyone else is dismissed, you’ll stay here until dinner practicing. I don’t want you leaving until you hit the target dead on every time, you hear?”

Din gave a silent nod of acceptance, which seemed to be the last straw for Paz.

“Sir.” 

Salis’s head whipped around to stare at the outspoken Trainee. Everyone else went silence. Din felt his body go stiff as he realized what Paz was about to do.

“Din wasn’t faking earlier.” Paz met the fierce trainer’s visored gaze unflinchingly as he continued. “He stayed in here all lunch period, practicing. I found him in here after I ate, and I gave him a few tips. He worked hard for those bullseyes.”

Silas looked around, silently taking in Din’s frozen form. He seemed to be trying to decide whether Paz was being truthful or not. He had no reason to believe otherwise from Paz, but he also had his own opinions of Din that said otherwise. 

“With all do respect, sir.” Briike stepped forward as well. “We had each fired off twenty shots on brand new targets before lunch, and five just now. There’s a lot more blaster holes in Din’s target than that. I think Paz was telling the truth, Din wasn’t at lunch today anyway.” Her gaze was thoughtful as her orange streaked helmet turned to regard Din. “Actually... he skips lunch a lot. It’s plausible that this is what happens every time he doesn’t grasp something in regular training.” Her helmet tilted to the side as she put the pieces together, understanding dawning one her theory. “And then when he comes to practice... it’s assumed he was slacking off the first time. That’s why he’s yelled at for not taking things seriously.”

Silas’s helmet turned to look back at Din. He regarded the Trainee in silence for a few moments, before he spoke. “Is this true?”

Din hesitated for a brief moment, weighing his options. Thanks to Paz trying to be a good person and Briike’s insight, there was no point in hiding his secret training sessions any longer. He just had to hope no one made fun of him for it, or worse, tried to come train during lunch as well.

“Yes.”

“All this time? Why haven’t you said anything before?” 

“It wasn’t necessary.”

“If not your honor, what are you deeming necessary. You’re a Mandalorian Trainee, I’d think you’d have more self-respect then to let yourself get punished for falsities.” The trainer was stern, but there was a hint of cautious curiosity in his voice. Din deemed it safe to answer truthfully.

“I trained, learned, got better. I figured out how to do it, and do it right. It wasn’t anybody else’s business.”

The Mandalorian looked at him for a moment, before nodding in acceptance of the hidden message. _I couldn’t draw attention to myself. I couldn’t let anyone know I was weak._

“I see. This is the Way. Dismissed.”

The Trainees hesitantly got into their normal friend groups, putting up their gear and walking out the door to continue their day. They would likely all go to visit their clans, or play games in some of the empty rooms. Din dropped back to let them all get ahead, before walking down a side hall away from everyone else. He had found a small little alcove in one of the smaller, unused halls about a five minute walk from the training room. The entrance was partly covered by some fallen rocks, and it was in a darker area, so he figured it was safe to assume he was the only one who knew of its existence. He had discovered it himself during his first month as a Trainee, while wandering the halls to avoid other people. Since then, he had stashed some of his study materials there, and used it as his own little private place.

Ducking through the concealed opening, he turned on his helmets flashlight and moved over some larger slabs of rocks. Behind was a little nook with his books stuffed inside. He pulled out his Mando’a book, and began to study. To be a Mandalorian, he had to know the language. And if he knew the language, he could also understand more of what the adults were saying when he passed them in the halls. That was a major bonus. Leaning back against the wall, he started to read.

Din had lost track of time, so it was getting late when he returned to the Trainee’s Quarters. With silent footsteps, he crept past the others and to his own bunk. When no one woke, he gave a sigh of relief and sat down to begin taking off his armor. 

“Hey.”

Din jerked to his feet, the gauntlet he had just taken off falling to the ground with a seemingly deafening clatter. Spinning around, he had whipped out his vibroblade and held it to the neck of the offender before the other could react. 

Paz rose his eyebrows, amusement masking the slight uncertainty in his face. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Nice reflexes though.”

Din allowed himself to relax the slightest bit, letting his shoulders drop a little (never all the way. He was always prepared, always alert. He never relaxed fully, even while asleep) and his hand with the vibroblade clutched in it falling to his side. Glancing around, he made sure the others were still asleep.

They were. Really, they shouldn’t be. If there was a real emergency, they’d all be _dead_ for kriff’s sakes.

Careful to stamp his flare of anger at the other boy down to a mild annoyance, he turned back to look at Paz. 

“What do you want?”

“Well, first off, I’d like you to take off your helmet so we can talk face to face. We don’t have to keep them on permanently until we’re fourteen, and even then we can show our face to our aliit. Let yourself breath a little, leave it off while you can.” Paz finished, a little indignantly.

Din stood for a moment in silence. “No.” He didn’t want to show his face, not until he was sure it wouldn’t reveal anything about his feelings. His parents had always said he had the most expressive eyes. Then it had seemed a compliment. Now, it seemed a death sentence for the line of work he was training for.

Paz sighed, irritation obvious in his stance. He crossed his arms and stared at Din for a moment. “Fine.” Another, slightly awkward pause.

“So?”

“I wanted to ask you something.” Another, definitely awkward pause. Din let it stretch a little longer this time, before he began to get uncomfortable. Paz just kept staring at his visor. This time when he spoke, a little annoyance bled through his tone.

“And that is?”

Paz smiled to himself, clearly pleased with some self-earned victory to a competition only he knew about. Din allowed himself to scowl for a moment behind his helmet. What the heck was that about?

“Nothing much. I just wanna know why the heck you didn’t stand up for yourself.” A strange look passed over his face as he paused to think. Din couldn’t quite decipher what it meant. “Why you haven’t ever been standing up for yourself. This isn’t the first time you’ve been yelled at for something like that. I thought it was strange before, you didn’t seem like the type of person who’d slack off for attention, but now it kinda makes sense. Why didn’t you correct anybody?”

“I know you heard me tell Silas. It didn’t matter.”

“Of course it matters! There was something else, something you didn’t say aloud. What was it?” Din was beginning to feel a bit like a cornered animal. Why did it matter so much to Paz?

“I don’t know what your talking about.” He made sure to keep his voice even, emotionless beneath the helmet.

Irritation and something a little more (anger?) flashed over Paz’s face, the older boy closing his eyes and taking a breath. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. We both know it, and there’s no getting around it. Why would you let us all believe that for so long?”

Din sighed. He knew there wasn’t any getting out of it, not with Paz’s stubborn reputation. Din could be just as stubborn, but if they stood here all night, the other Trainees would wake up and wonder what the kriff was going on. Then he’d have bigger problems.

Gritting his teeth, he responded. “Admitting to needing help is admitting weakness. That is not the Mandalorian way.” He decided on leaving out the not wanting to draw attention to his private training part. He didn’t think Paz would understand. Although, it seems apparently, Paz didn’t understand the first part either.

“Needing help is weakness? C’mon Din, we’re _Trainees_. We’re supposed to need help, we’re learning! Besides, if we knew for sure you weren’t just screwing around with everybody, we would’ve tried to make friends with you sooner!”

That was exactly the wrong thing to say. That was possibly the biggest reason he hadn’t wanted to let people know his sudden bouts of competence was extra training, and not previous laziness, that he hadn’t even wanted to admit to himself. If people didn’t trust him, they wouldn’t try to get close. Din felt himself closing off instinctually at the prospect of people wanting to be his friend now. From Paz’s expression, he guessed the other boy could sense it too.

“Uh- no, wait, that came out wrong.” Paz cringed at his own feeble attempt to salvage the conversation.

Din decided to respond with a _partial_ truth. “If people automatically assumed I was slacking off like a lazy _di’kut_ , I don’t _want_ them to be my friends.” He could feel the coldness seeping into his voice, and concentrated on getting back his indifferent calm. 

“That’s not what I meant-” 

“It doesn’t matter. It’s fine.” Din was more tired now then anything, but at least his voice was back to its usual calm demeanor.

“But,”

“Cuy ogir’olar.” It was a Mando’a phrase Din had learned in his Mando’a book, meaning it’s neither here nor there. He thought it suited him. What better time to test it out then now?

Paz sighed, looking down at his feet and back up at Din. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come across that way, sometimes my temper gets the best of me.” Paz offered up a small smile. “For what it’s worth, you’re a pretty impressive Mandalorian for an eight year old.”

“Nine.”

“Nine?” Paz repeated, confusion evident in his voice. Din hissed to himself, mentally berating his own stupidity. He hadn’t meant to let that slip, it didn’t matter. Sighing, he clarified.

“I’m nine. As of two months ago.”

“Oh, you should have told us. We could have celebrated!” Din thought back to the party that had been thrown a few short weeks after they moved into the Trainee’s Quarters, for Mera and Jahno.

“It’s fine. I’m not big on parties.”

“Oh, well. That’s alright I guess. Did you celebrate with your clan? Those parties are usually pretty fun, and they’re just with closest relatives, so I guess that’d be more your style.” He smiled at Din.

Din paused for a moment, confused. He didn’t know Din didn’t have a clan? Then again, it’s not like Din was openly broadcasting it. He was laying low for a reason, after all.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I did.” Technically, it wasn’t a lie. Mandalorians who didn’t have a clan made their own. Din was his own clan, albeit a small one.

“Ah. Well, that’s good then. Well, I’m glad you won’t get in any more trouble for your training, that was stupid. I’ll let you sleep now. Sorry for keeping you up.” Paz gave another sheepish smile, before heading back over to his own bunk and settling down for the night.

Din watched him for a few moments, before settling down himself. He was so tired, he didn’t even bother with his armor anymore. He sat with his back against the headboard and his legs crossed in front of him, his head lowering to rest the chin of his helmet on his chest plate as he went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Once again, if you have any suggestions for fluffy Trainee adventures, leave them in the comments for consideration! I need ideas...
> 
> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> Aliit - clan, family
> 
> Di’kut - idiot
> 
> Cuy ogir’olar - It’s neither here nor there


	3. Burc’ya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few certain Trainees begin to subtly shove themselves into Din’s self-proclaimed ‘non-existant’ friend group, and he is kinda maybe sorta okay with it.
> 
> Din has nightmares, and Paz does his best to be a helpful person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter of Din & Friend’s fluffy adventures, with the faintest hint of Din/Paz. I hope y’all enjoy, and if you have any suggestions leave them in the comments for consideration!

The next few weeks proved all of his efforts to keep potential friends away in vain. A few days after the incident with Paz, some of the older trainees had followed Din down his secluded hall after practice. Lucky for Din, he had easily heard them coming and managed to lead them down a few other halls instead of to his hidden alcove. There was no way he was going to let a bunch of other Trainees know where he hid all day.

As he rounded a corner in a tunnel he had yet to explore, he found himself in a dead end. _Kriff_.

Three other trainees whom Din did not know the names of came around the corner, armor on. Even with their helmets, he suspected they were grinning. 

“Well if it isn’t the little guy who needs extra practice. What kind of Mandalorian are you gonna be, you couldn’t even shoot a gun properly without an extra hour and help from a Vizla.” Crowed the largest.

“Aww, what, not gonna stand up for yourself?” Another taunted.

“‘Course not.” Replied the third. “He doesn’t know how to stand up for himself, he had to have Vizla and Briike do it for him, remember?” 

“Well, maybe he needs a little extra practice.” The largest cracked his knuckles, and the three slowly advanced.

This was...not good. Din quickly appraised each of the opponents. He knew he could take down one on his own, probably even two. Three on the other hand... that was stretching it. Regardless, he dropped into a defensive crouch.

“ _Hey!_ ”

Four pairs of helmets snapped around to meet two more, identical blue and purple with white accents. 

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” said Mera, turning to her brother, who gave her his full attention. “I do believe the Code states we need to _help_ other Mandalorians in need, does it not?”

“Mm, sounds about right to me.” Jahno replied conversationally.

“We are helping.” Snarked the second Trainee. “We’re giving him _extra practice_ with hand-to-hand.”

“Then allow us to join in.” Replied Mera.

“We’ll be on his side.” Added Jahno. Their voices were cold and angry as they dropped into offensive crouches. “Surely you won’t mind an equal competition, right?”

The group of offending Trainees shared a quick glance, before standing up straight. “You know what? Weren’t we supposed to help out our buir with dinner tonight?”

“Oh, right! I forgot.”

“Yeah, we need to be going anyways... maybe later guys.” As they shuffled past, one paused next to Din. “See you later, di’kutla.”

And then they were gone. Din silently regarded the remaining two with a slight wariness as he straightened, but knew deep down they wouldn’t give him any trouble. 

“Thank you.” He tried to portray in his voice that he wanted to be left alone, without outright saying it. They nodded, and began to walk away. Before she rounded the corner, Mera paused and looked back. 

“For what it’s worth, Jahno and I never believed you were slacking. We didn’t know what was going on, but we knew it wasn’t that.”

Din believed her. 

From then on, Mera, Jahno, and Paz became the closest Din had to friends, without actually being friends. He couldn’t think of them as friends, that would mean he was attached. He wasn’t. He couldn’t be. (He totally was.)

They began to talk more. Or rather, Mera and Jahno would speak to him during free time in classes, including him in conversations without making him have to say anything. He appreciated it. Paz would casually drop by when he noticed Din wasn’t at lunch, and lend a hand with whatever he was practicing that day. All three began to hang around him more, sitting in the nearby bunks to chat while Din cleaned his armor in his bunk in the Trainee’s Quarters.

If the three began to notice him sneak off down the opposite hallway everyday after practice, they were kind enough not to bring it up. They would let him have his secrets and his alone time, but they would not let him stay completely isolated.

*****

Paz walked through the dark halls, making his way to the Trainee’s Quarters. He had gone to visit his aliit, and had stayed quite a bit longer than he probably should’ve. Oh well. It had been for a good cause, at least. Paz grinned as he thought back to the night’s festivities, celebrating his tenth birthday with his extended family. Tomorrow, he would celebrate with the other Trainees. He couldn’t wait.

Paz quietly slipped through the door, struggling to keep his footsteps light and quiet. He certainly wasn’t as naturally stealthy as Mera and Din, nor was he as light-footed as Jahno. His aliit was convinced he’d be sorted into heavy infantry, and he was sure they were right. Well, it’s a good thing that’s what he wanted to be.

Creeping past the different bunks, he finally reached his own. He let out a sigh of relief as he pulled back the covers and—  
  
froze. 

A soft sound had made its way to his ears, so quiet he wondered if he had heard it at all. Yes, there it was again. As quietly as he could, Paz turned to scan the area, on high alert. He didn’t want to wake everyone else for nothing, but he wasn’t going to ignore it in the case it was _something_.

Narrowing his eyes, he brushed his hair out of his face and began to quietly make his way down the room. A soft rustling caught his attention, and his head snapped up to find the source of the noise.

It was Din.

The smaller boy was quietly tossing and turning in his sleep, feet tangling in the thin blankets. Paz pursed his lips, uncertain. He knew Din wouldn’t take being woken up lightly, and would most likely be offended, shutting himself off once again. But he couldn’t just leave him there with nightmares obviously plaguing his sleep. 

With one last glance at his own bunk, Paz took a deep breath and walked over to Din’s side. Maybe he didn’t have to wake him up. Maybe his presence would be enough to hold the nightmares at bay. He certainly hoped so. Perching on the edge of the bunk, he silently regarded the Foundling before him.

Din’s forehead was furrowed in his sleep, lips pursed in distress at whatever nighttime monsters were tormenting him. His hands were clenched in tight fists, and his eyes were squeezed shut. As Paz watched, a small whimper escaped the boy and he shifted a little, causing a lock of dark hair to fall into his face. He looked so small, so helpless and vulnerable. It made something in Paz’s chest clench. It wasn’t right. 

Paz wasn’t unfamiliar with nightmares, but he always woke with calming relief at the realization it wasn’t real. With Foundlings though... oftentimes their nightmares _were_ real, memories of the deaths of loved ones replaying in their minds like some sick holodrama.

Paz swallowed back his own sadness to focus on the here and now. He had no reason to be upset, but Din did. Gazing at the younger boy’s tanned face lined with distress, Paz began to run through his options. He could wake him up, but that ran the risk of Din either shutting himself off, or thinking he was under attack and waking the whole barracks by throwing Paz into a wall (you only had to wake a sleeping Din once to know not to do it again...). He could also just let Din be and return to his own bunk for the night (but there was no way was he doing that). 

Paz sighed. He was really beginning to think silent support would be the best option for him, even if he had his doubts on whether it would work. But he knew he wasn’t going to leave, and he really didn’t want to be thrown into a wall. Again.

Din flinched in his sleep, recoiling from some unseen enemy, and Paz’s mind was made up. Din gave another soft whimper as he slept, and Paz unconsciously reached out a hand to gently brush dark locks of hair away from the boy’s face.

“K’uur, k’uur ner’burc’ya.” He said softly. “You are safe here. You’re safe.”

Paz stayed there for a while, softly murmuring reassurances as he gently stroked the soft locks of hair. Gradually, Din’s face began to relax and he stopped shifting around. As he slept, chest rising and falling with each gentle breath, Paz realized he’d never seen him more relaxed. He also came to the startled realization that he’d never seen his face so close up before. The smaller boy always seemed to be wearing his armor (Paz could have sworn he slept in it before) unlike the other Trainees, who chose to show their faces while they could. In fact, he suddenly looked very small without it. 

Paz viciously shoved down a sudden urge to protect the other. He may seem small without the armor, but Paz knew he was just as capable. Din was proving to be a very worthy opponent, especially now that the trainers had stopped blaming him for ‘not trying’ in practice. (Paz was still angry about that, and mad at himself for going along with it for so long) Mera and Jahno had even told him a few weeks back that some other Trainees had cornered Din in the halls, and that the smaller boy had been prepared to fight all three. After hearing about that incident, Paz had _happened_ to pair up with each of them during the next few sparring practices. They wouldn’t be bullying _anyone_ anytime soon.

With a sigh, Paz stood up from his spot on the bunk. With one last glance at Din’s startlingly peaceful sleeping form, he headed to bed himself. 

*****

Din woke the next morning strangely content. Stretching, he reached under his bed to pull out some fresh clothes, the typical trousers and tunic all Trainees wore. He quickly changed his clothes, and headed down the room towards the door. They didn’t have classes today, but he wanted to get some training in before breakfast. If he caught Paz watching him from the corner of his eyes, he chose not to say anything.

Walking into the training room, he quickly gathered his armor, putting it on and slipping into his helmet. He glanced around, deciding what to do. Lately, Mera, Jahno, and Paz had been joining him, but he didn’t think they’d be coming today. After all, it was Paz’s birthday. They’d probably use the time before breakfast to set up decorations or pull out some games. 

Making up his mind, Din walked to the far end of the room. There was a small obstacle course set up, with targets programmed to pop up at random times, curtesy of the Tech Mandos. Turning on the targets, Din walked to the start and pulled out his blaster. He hit a button on the wall, and waited for the light that signaled the start to turn on.

At its mark, he ran forward, vaulting over a wall and shooting a target as it popped up. Ducking beneath a bar, he spun out of the way of another target as it popped up, and quickly shot it as well. Using the wall as leverage, he kicked up it and jumped to a platform just in time to avoid some rolling logs. 

Two more targets appeared, and in his haste to get to the finish line, he missed one shot and had to spin and shoot again. Sliding under one last obstacle, a swinging log dropped from somewhere above, he shot a final moving target and ran to the finish line. Crossing, he hit the button that signaled his finish, and waited for his time to be displayed on the screen next to the finish. 

00:31.71 

A sharp whistle pierced the silence, accompanied by applause. Din spun to find the grinning faces of Mera, Jahno, and Paz. He stood frozen, unsure what to do now that he was caught. Younger Trainees weren’t exactly supposed to use the obstacle course, as it was reserved for the older Trainees who were preparing for field work. 

“Well done! Thirty-one seconds. That certainly beats my time.” 

Din blinked at Jahno, at a loss for words. What now?

“Mine too.” Added Mera, a little sheepishly.

As the two of them turned toward Paz, the older boy shrugged his shoulders. “You think I’ve done better? I’m built for heavy infantry, not the athletic stuff. Looks like you’ve got the best score outta all of us, bud.”

Din blinked stupidly, still not recovered from his shock. “I- You...huh?” He said a little helplessly. What was going on? “What d’you mean, you’ve done it too?”

Paz grinned. “You think you’re the only one who comes into the training room at questionable hours to use equipment that we really aren’t supposed to? I get bored too, you know.”

Jahno rose his eyebrows at the larger boy before turning back to Din. “Mera made me do it.”

“It looked _fun_.” She grumbled. “Besides, it’s not like you resisted.”

“You’re the one who put the idea in my head in the first place.” He calmly pointed out. Mera stuck her tongue out at him.

Paz laughed, walking over to Din to clap his hand on his shoulder. “See? You’re not the only rule-breaker around here.” He started to lead Din towards the door. “Now how about we head to breakfast? My mom’s helping out this morning, she said if I brought my friends early she’d treat us to something nice for my birthday.” 

Din went with the others, replaying what just happened in his head. It didn’t seem likely, yet here he was. And Paz had called him his friend. A tiniest bit of the warmth Din hadn’t felt in a long time trickled into his chest at the thought. Maybe, just maybe, having friends wasn’t so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> Di’kutla - Useless, worthless, stupid
> 
> Aliit - Clan, family
> 
> K’uur, k’uur Ner’burc’ya - hush, hush my friend
> 
> Burc’ya - friend


	4. Briikase Gote’tuur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A birthday party commences... What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got another idea, so of course... I wrote this instead of doing my crap ton of homework due tomorrow... I’m ashamed of myself. But inspiration struck! I couldn’t not do it... oh well, hope y’all enjoy! If you have any ideas for Trainee adventures, please feel free to leave them below for consideration. I’m in need of inspiration.

Din’s mind was still reeling as he followed his fellow Trainees to the large room that served as the Mess Hall. The typical early morning aroma of breakfast food filtered in through his helmet, as well as a hint of something...sweeter? No, that wasn’t quite the right word. The enticing smell grew faintly stronger as they entered the room, but the helmet prevented him from getting a good whiff. He could see the others grinning as they excitedly sniffed the air, obviously pleased at whatever it was. 

After a few moments of debate, Din lifted his own helmet off of his head to tuck under his arm. Tentatively, he sniffed the air. He could feel his face twist slightly to an expression of surprise, but couldn’t bring himself to care at that moment. Whatever it was smelled good.

“What is that?” 

He spoke softly when he asked, but the other three immediately broke off their side conversations to give him their attention. It was strange that they seemed to care about what he had to say so much...but he had to admit, it was sort of nice as well. 

“It’s cake.” Replied Paz, who looked a little confused. “Didn’t your clan make you one for your birthday?”

“Oh, um, it wasn’t..uh” 

“Wait, we missed your birthday?” Mera exclaimed, looking crestfallen. “Dang. Well, we’ll celebrate next year.”

As the other two gave their agreement, Din let out an internal sigh of relief. He didn’t know _why_ he felt so bad lying to Paz about having a clan. It wasn’t like it really even mattered that much. 

He was pulled away from his musings as Paz led them to a table by the doorway that led to the room where the cooks worked. Settling down in a seat by Jahno (Mera opted to sit across the table from her brother), Din set his helmet down and watched as Paz stuck his head through the doorway.

“Su’cuy, buir!”

“Su’cuy, ad.” The woman who came to the door was above average height, but still not as tall as some of the other Mandalorians he’d seen. She walked with the predatorial grace that seemed almost natural to Mandalorians, but seemed to suit her best. Din watched with curiosity thinly veiled by his usual mask of indifference as the blue helmet turned to take in each of Paz’s friends. He could see a little bit of her in Paz with the way they stood, but while he had no doubt she was strong, he definitely thought Paz’s muscular build came from his father. 

“Gar burc’ya?” She spoke in a calm, almost carefree voice, but Din caught the deeper meaning behind the words. _Do you trust them? Are they worthy?_

“‘Lek” 

Din felt like a small something crumble inside him as Paz once again called him a friend. All the times Din had lied, or told partial-truths to the older boy seemed to rush back to mock him. He felt the eyes of Paz’s buir seemed to linger on him for a few moments, but he thought he managed to keep his composure. It would do no good to break down now. Besides, it really didn’t matter anyway. Cuy ogir’olar. If ( _when_ , a voice whispered) Paz found out and decided to abandon Din because of it, it wouldn’t matter. Din didn’t need friends, these three just happened to be a pleasant and unexpected turn of events.

(Distantly, a voice whispered now that he had them, he’d break without them. He hoped it was wrong.)

*****

Paz sat across the table from Din as his buir left to grab their slices of cake. He smiled to himself as he realized that there was exactly one empty space between each of them. They had never spoken of any such rule at their table, yet they always seemed to silently agree to give each other the extra space. He appreciated it, and knew Din must as well. After all, the younger boy was probably the least sociable Trainee he’d ever met.

Speaking of Din, there seemed to have been some subtle change within him, almost like when he, Mera, and Jahno had first started trying to include him. He seemed a little more... _closed off_ than usual. Not that he wasn’t usually ‘closed off’. He wondered if maybe it was his mom’s silent inspection that had done it. She could be a bit much when it came to the people that were around Paz, and sometimes it was a little unnerving to the people under her scrutinizing gaze. He supposed he’d just have to keep an eye on the younger boy.

Paz grinned as his mother came out with four plates of chocolate cake with chocolate icing, setting one in front of each of them. Mera immediately dug in, quickly followed by Jahno, and Paz laughed a little as he grabbed his own fork. Taking a bite, he closed his eyes and relished the flavor. His mom’s cake was always the best.

When he reopened his eyes, it was to see Din suspiciously eyeing the slice of cake on his plate as he slowly got some on his fork. Paz stopped to watch in amused silence as Din lifted it to his mouth and took a bite, waiting for his reaction. If this was really his first time eating cake, he wanted to know what he thought.

Din’s eyes widened in surprise at the taste, and Paz’s brain distantly registered that they were the same rich dark brown as the chocolate icing that covered the cake. 

“Good, isn’t it?” He asked with a smile. It quickly turned to a grin when Din gave a small, hesitant smile back.

“Yes.”

After they finished eating, they sat around and killed time while they waited for the rest of the Trainees to arrive for breakfast. Then, they all headed back to the Trainee’s Quarters to celebrate. As Paz walked into the room, he laughed at the sight in front of him. While he and his closest group of friends were gone, the other Trainees had thrown toilet paper around the bunks like streamers, and set up a table with a set of cards on it for Sarbac. On one of the nearby bunks was a small pile of trinkets with string tied in little bows, presumably gifts. The Trainees weren’t able to get their hands on much, but they made it work. Besides, it was good practice on how to improvise.

The festivities started up immediately, the other Trainees swarming around him to pat his back or his head, yelling ‘happy tenth!’ all the while. As one of the more popular Trainees, everyone seemed to know him, and everyone seemed to want to get to talk to him or present him with a gift, or challenge him to a game of Sarbac. It was wonderful, if not a tad bit overwhelming.

Soon enough, he was steered over to the bunk of gifts. Sitting down on the edge, he began to go through each one individually, thanking whichever Trainee had gifted it to him. He had some fresh paint for his armor smuggled from one of the storage closets, as well as chocolate from the kitchen and a tub of vanilla icing (which quickly began to be passed around, much to the delight of the others). These, he found, were from the twins. It didn’t surprise him, they did have a bit of a mischievous streak.

As he continued through the gifts (a cloth to clean his blaster, a packet of spice that was treasured by Mandalorians, a few credits, etc.) the Trainees began to disperse amongst the room to talk to their friends. When the last of the Trainees had left the side of the bunk, he began to stand and stretch the tension from his muscles- 

And almost missed the last gift.

A small, yet sharp blade was partially covered by the blankets on the bunk. Reaching down, Paz lifted it up to inspect it. It was small enough to slip into his gauntlet unnoticed, but still big enough to do damage. Carefully engraved on the blade’s hilt was an elegantly carved shriek hawk. Paz ran his finger over it in wonder, and looked around for whoever had given it. No one near the bunk seemed as though they were waiting for his reaction, or was openly coming up like the others. 

Paz pursed his lips in thought for a second before slipping it into his gauntlet, glad he was wearing his armor right then so he could see how it fit. It was perfect. Maybe he’d start wearing his armor more often; it was always good to be prepared after all. Maybe Din was on to something.

Paz smiled at the thought as he scanned the room. A newer Foundling who had just been made a Trainee about a month back was standing a little ways away. Paz smiled and began to head over to introduce himself; it would be good for them to know they had someone to talk to, especially since they looked young.

As he neared, he realized Goran, one of the older Trainees who had cornered Din, was talking to them. Paz gritted his teeth and sped up. No good could come of that. Getting closer, he could make out some of what the older Trainee was saying.

“Awww, gonna cry to your mommy? Oh, wait...” Goran laughed as tears welled up in the younglings eyes, high-fiving Atin, one of the other Trainees Paz had had to take down in training after a certain incident...

Paz felt fury spike through his veins, but before he could get any closer a familiar tan-skinned, dark haired Trainee pushed past him. Paz slowed to a stop and watched with bemused curiosity as Din casually walked past the group, pausing and looking up at Goran’s forehead for a split second before starting to continue on (he had chosen to forgo wearing a helmet during the party, for which Paz was grateful. It was nice that the younger boy cared.). It was long enough though.

“What?” Goran snapped out, reaching towards his forehead.

Din did a double-take, glancing back at the group with an innocent _hm?_ Goran rubbed his forehead, glaring at the smaller ( _much_ smaller, Paz noted) boy. 

“Oh, nothing.” Din said, not once losing his calm, indifferent demeanor. “..it’s just..you gotta, little bit of, icing. Right there...” He loosely gestured to a spot on his own forehead, while the new Foundling began to slowly inch away.

“What?” Goran rubbed his forehead, turning to his friend when his hand came back clean. Atin shook his head, looking just as confused as Paz felt. By now, the other nearby Trainees had begun to gather and watch. Goran turned to glare at Din once more who suddenly got an incredibly innocent look of sheepish surprise.

“Oh! My bad, sorry. It was just a zit.”

“Why, you little!” Before Paz or anyone else could act, Goran lunged at Din aiming a heavy blow to his head. Din quickly sidestepped with a graceful ease. As more of a crowd started to gather, the new Foundling scrambled into the mass of people to hide. 

Goran took another swipe, but Din caught his arm, throwing the larger boy off balance and stumbling forwards. He was stronger than he looked, Paz thought appreciatively. 

By now, Atin had recovered and leapt into the fray, which Paz distantly realized he should be doing too. As he struggled to shove through the other Trainees, he watched Din dodge Goran once more, only to be grabbed by Atin. Paz felt fear turn his blood cold as Goran lined up for a vicious punch to Din’s face (why had he been grateful for the lack of helmet?!). Goran swung, and Din lifted his leg and slammed his foot back into a spot that had some of the Trainees wincing in sympathy. As Atin doubled over in pain, Din ducked down, causing Goran’s fist to connect solidly with Atin’s nose. A sickening _crunch_ had many of the Trainees cringing as Atin howled in pain.

Din rolled into the crowd from his ducking position, affectively disappearing from sight. Goran seemed to forget all about him as he crouched wide-eyed next to his companion, trying to help staunch the bleeding. Paz stared in shock for a moment, heart pounding at the close-call. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he began to push through the crowd to find Din. He had some words to share with that di’kut. Why the kriff did he think it was a good idea to start a fight with to of the oldest Trainees!? (Paz ignored the fact he’d been about to do the same.) At least the younger boy had won.

Paz found him standing in the shadows in the far corner of the room, resting his hand on the shoulder of the small girl Goran had been making fun of. Paz tried to hide his surprise as he strode over to them. Din wasn’t known for initiating contact outside of sparring. In fact, he usually shied away from any form of touch, except for when Paz would rest his hand on his shoulder (something Paz was unreasonably immensely proud of.). 

“How old are you?” Din quietly asked. The girl gazed up at him with wide, light blue eyes as she tucked a strand of light brown hair behind her ear. 

“I’m seven.” She replied, her voice almost a whisper. Paz came up behind Din and tried to look as welcoming and unthreatening as he could while he studied her. She had slightly tanned skin, although it was lighter than Din’s, and her light brown hair had blond highlights, likely from wearing her hair in a braid in the sun. She was probably from one of the desert planets. They had had quite a few squads coming back from them with cuts and bruises after fighting off Separatist attacks on local towns. Several had brought back Foundlings.

“Well, I’m nine. Sorry about Goran, he can be a bit of a porko sleemo.” Din said with a small smile. Paz was unfamiliar with the language, but the girl giggled.

Din turned and gestured to Paz. “This is Paz. He’s nice, he beat Goran and his friends up in practice when they tried to bully me, but he doesn’t know I know that.”

Paz sputtered, his brain shutting down. “I-, wait, no, what?”

“Paz, this is Kina.” Din said, as he turned to give another small smile to the girl. She smiled back. “C’mon, I know someone I think you’ll get along with. She came when she was seven too, so she knows what it’s like.” He began to lead the small girl away, but paused for a second as he passes the still spluttering Paz. “It was obvious.” He whispered.

Paz groaned as he watched Din lead Kina over to Mera and Jahno. Of course Din would have noticed, he’s one of the smartest, most observant Trainees Paz has met. Paz shook his head ruefully at himself as he walked over to his group of friends. Mera had immediately taken a liking to the young girl, grinning brightly at her.

“Us girls have gotta stick together, right?” She said with a grin. “It sucked before, there was only one other girl and she’s a ton older than me. But with you, it’ll be great.”

Kina giggled again, and Paz smiled once more at seeing her so happy. He felt like he’d been smiling a lot today, but then again, it was a good day. Other than the whole fighting thing anyways. Speaking of which...

Paz turned to chew the other boy out like he’d been planning on before, only to find the other boy was gone. Paz scanned the party, but saw no sign of the dark hair and tan skin of his burc’ya. He tried not to feel disappointed, reminding himself that Din would probably want to be by himself for a while after all the excitement.

*****

Din padded lightly back into the Trainees Quarters. Everything had been becoming a bit much after the fight, but he had tasked himself with making sure the young girl was alright before he left for his alcove. He knew what it was like to be small and weak against older Trainees. His first couple of weeks had been rough. He never wanted to feel that way again, nor would he stand by and watch someone else be made to feel that way. 

Kina had seemed a sweet girl, kind and innocent in every way possible. She didn’t deserve any of this. So he had made himself stay and make sure she was okay. It was a bit difficult to get her to talk at first, but he had found she liked when he spoke in Huttese. Her family probably used it a lot on her home world, like his village did. 

Din cut off that train of thought before it could go anywhere else. He had helped Kina, and that was all that mattered. He was glad Mera was so willing to take her in. She, Jahno, and Paz had proven to be great friends. Speaking of Paz...

Din turned from his path to his bunk, instead making his way over to Paz’s. The older boy was already asleep, but all Mandalorians slept light. Or at least, the good ones did.

“Psst, Paz.”

Paz’s eyes jolted open as he reached under his pillow, withdrawing a small blade. Din’s heart leapt as he recognized the intricately carved shriek hawk adorning the hilt. He could faintly make out the small, misplaced scratch on one of the feathers where his hand had slipped whilst getting used to the feel of carving. (He had taken the artistic liberty to turn the formidable symbol of Clan Vizla into an actual bird. He thought it looked quite nice.)

“Just me.” He said calmly, and Paz sheepishly lowered the blade.

“Hey Din. We missed you earlier, but I can see why you wanted to leave for a bit.”

Din’s initial confusion at hearing he’d been missed was quickly replaced by a small cringe at the reminder. He really hadn’t meant for it to end in a fight (mostly anyway), he’d just wanted to give Kina a chance to get away.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to ruin your party.”

“You kidding? It turned into the main event for the other Trainees. Although, what the _kriff_ were you thinking, fighting two older Trainees on your own? I oughta fight you myself for that. Do you know how worried I was you were going to get hurt?!” He whisper yelled, eyes fierce.

Din blinked in surprise. Paz was...worried about him? Why? Even if he had gotten injured, it would’ve healed with time. It’s not like it would’ve been a big deal.

“Sorry?”

Paz closed his eyes and took a breath. “No, I’m sorry. That was really awesome of you, to help her like that. Also...” Paz seemed to have a confused look on his face. “How come no one noticed you leave?”

Din gave a small smile (a bit confused at the bright grin it gained from Paz) as he responded. “Number one rule of introversion Vizla. Out of sight, out of mind. Cause a distraction big enough, everyone will be so focused on it they won’t notice a thing. It helps that i have such a low profile to begin with.” He scowled, but quickly fought to get his expression back to one of indifference. “Or I _did_. Hopefully that fight won’t bring attention to me.”

Understanding dawned on Paz’s face. “You got caught on _purpose_. Atin was _supposed_ to get punched as a distraction!” The understanding quickly morphed to thinly veiled anger. “The _kriff_! I was so scared you were gonna get punched and it was on _purpose_?!” 

Din looked around the nearby bunks with wide eyes, motioning for Paz to quiet down. His whisper yelling needed a little more whisper and a little less yelling.

“Sorry, sorry sorry, I didn’t know you’d care so much, just..shhh.”

“What-” Paz closed his mouth and looked around, lowering his voice to a quiet hiss as he continued. “What do you mean, you didn’t know I’d care? Of course I care, your my _burc’ya_.”

Din stopped, looking at Paz. He knew the other thought of him as a friend, and he’d even heard him say it a couple of times. But this was the first time he’d told Din directly. Din was furious at himself as tears welled up in his eyes, and he quickly looked away as he blinked them back. This shouldn’t be such a big deal either. No one else cried because someone called them a friend. He was pathetic.

“Um, thanks.” He hoped his voice didn’t sound as choked to Paz as it did to him.

“You’re welcome.” Came the whispered response. He could see Paz looking down in embarrassment from the corner of his eyes.

“Well, I should- should prob’ly get some, uh, sleep.” Din cringed inwardly at himself. Really, you can’t say anything that doesn’t sound stupid. 

“Oh, yeah, right. Good night then.”

“Good night.” Din hesitated as he turned away. “Burc’ya.” He mumbled, so quietly he wasn’t sure if Paz had even heard. He quickly retreated to his own bunk, throwing the covers over his head and squeezing his eyes shut.

Unbeknownst to him, Paz had heard. And he was grinning like the Tooka that caught the Loth-rat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> Briikase Gote’tuur - Happy Birthday
> 
> Su’cuy Buir - Hello mother
> 
> Su’cuy ad - Hello son
> 
> Gar burc’ya? - Your friends?
> 
> ‘Lek - Yeah 
> 
> Cuy ogir’olar - it’s neither here nor there
> 
> Huttese Translations:
> 
> Porko - big
> 
> Sleemo - slime-ball


	5. Jate Ca

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For someone who tries to be a loner, Din isn’t very good at it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first...
> 
> Everyone can give a humongous thanks to sunny_impalas and their fic Tigaanur for finally making me get my thoughts together and write. Impala’s fic is beautifully done, I loved it and highly recommend to anyone who has not read it yet!
> 
> Super duper sorry for no recent updates to the series, I have been slacking in the idea department and school has been heck. Soooo much homework and projects and so little sleep to do it by. Anyways, I hope y’all enjoy, and I might be able to get the next one up tomorrow if I have time to write.

Din was walking back through the halls on his way to the Trainee’s Quarters. They had been assigned some extra work in both Language and SIS (Study of Intergalactic Species) today, so he had slipped off through the abandoned corridors to his secret alcove. He much preferred the calming silence of being the only person around to the boisterous shouting that often adorned the Quarters. The other Trainees made it hard to concentrate, especially when they had Language homework. The Clan Borns who had grown up speaking the language often times sped through their work, and didn’t have the common curtesy to allow the others to finish before they started up their usual rambunctious activities. 

Din sighed and shook his head. He was lucky to have his alcove to retreat to. Mera and Jahno were‘ the so lucky- he’d heard them complain about the same thing time and time again, yet they didn’t have somewhere they could disappear to for seclusion like Din did. He felt a little guilty knowing he was keeping such a precious place to himself. Then again, it wasn’t his fault; they could have wandered the halls and found it just as easily as he had. Maybe. Actually, he didn’t know how _he_ had managed to find it, it was so well hidden. 

Lost in thought, Din rounded the corner to the main hall that stretched between the training rooms, the barracks, and the main living areas. Walking in the direction of the barracks, Din began to try and decide whether it was worth it to go to the Mess Hall for something to eat when a sudden weight slammed into him from behind.

Din (although he would deny it years later) jumped and whirled on his surprise attacker. The only thing that kept him from pulling his vibroblade was the jumbled mixture of Huttese and Mando’a that met his ears, registering in his mind a second before his eyes focused on the small girl clutching his waist.

Din awkwardly glanced around, searching for whatever had caused the small girl’s distress. Seeing and hearing nothing (though it was hard to focus on any sounds other than the girls quiet sniffles and mumbled mix of languages) he glanced down at the child holding him in place. He could easily use his newfound strength that came with being a Mandalorian Trainee to unwrap her arms and be on his way, but he knew deep down that he could never do that to the child in need.

Letting out another sigh, he awkwardly settled one hand on her back, and the other on the light brown hair covering her head. “Me’bana?” 

Din had no clue how to deal with children, even though he was still one himself. He figured it would be best to be strategic about his approach though. He had to know what happened to know how to help, and it was a little difficult to understand the mixture of languages. Kina was still relatively new to the Mandalorians, even if she was picking up their language quickly. Maybe if he spoke in Mando’a and would force her to focus on understanding what he was saying, and cause her to calm down. He hoped. 

In the end, it only relatively worked. She calmed down enough for him to understand her words, although she did continue to slip between languages on occasion. It would be a problem in the future if she spoke to someone who didn’t understand Huttese, but for now it’d have to do.

It was what she was telling him that he was focused on for now. He understood the basic gist of her ramblings, and he was _mad_. From what he had gathered so far, Goran and Cajan, the third of the three who had originally cornered Din, (he now knew they weren’t just friends, they were brothers; all three Clan Borns) had found Kina walking back to the barracks from the Mess Hall. She was alone, and Goran had blocked her path. When she had tried to get by, he pushed her back and started to make fun of her for being weak.

Din was struggling to keep his cool. Who told a girl who was barely seven years old and had just lost her family and been taken in by total _strangers_ that she was weak? Goran, apparently. According to Kina, Cajan hadn’t partaken in anything, but he hadn’t tried to stop it either. Goran had continued to make fun of her and how weak she was, and told her no Clan would ever want to take in a weak coward like her.

“Kaysh nynir ni.”

Din’s seething mind took a few second to register the words.

“Me’ven?”

“Kaysh nynir ni.” Came the whispered response, so quiet he had almost missed it. The girl lifted her head, and his eyes immediately landed on the large bruise blossoming across the child’s swelling face. The anger he had been trying so hard to suppress came tumbling out in a wave of absolute fury. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen Goran hit someone before; he had been on the receiving end of it on multiple occasions. But to taunt, make fun of, and _physically harm_ a brand new Foundling? That was low, even for him.

Grabbing Kina’s hand as gentle as he could with the rage boiling inside of him, he began to stalk back towards the Trainee’s Quarters. He had noticed many of his fellow Trainees tended to stomp around whilst angry, but his footsteps always seemed to get quieter, deadlier. No matter. He had better things to focus on right now.

They quickly swept through the halls, Kina sometimes jogging to keep up with his quicker pace. As they reached the barracks and walked through the doorway, a voice called out to him.

“Hey, Din! Over here!” He turned to see Mera joyfully waving him over from her spot on her bunk next to Jahno. They seemed to be playing one of the board games that an older Mandalorian had brought by a few weeks back. Something about getting all your ships around the board and into your designated docking bay before the other players. Well, it didn’t matter right now. Sending Kina in their direction, he continued his swift walk through the room without missing a beat.

Dimly, he registered that the Trainees had gone relatively quiet, and were quickly scrambling out of his way. He didn’t care. Reaching the end of the occupied bunks (by the other Trainees anyway, his was still further down) he came across Goran sitting and laughing with his two brothers. He could almost imagine what he was saying.

_You should have see the little girl’s face when I smacked her!_

A new wave of anger swept through him as he strode up to the group. They looked up at his arrival, Goran standing and crossing his arms with a sneer. They were all three still in full armor, minus the helmets. They probably hadn’t changed back after practice earlier. 

“Need something, _di’kutla_?” Goran snarked. Din almost didn’t hear the angry choked sound from someone in the nearby crowd. He ignored it.

“ _Gar etyc demagolka_ ” He spat as he drew back his arm, and punched the taller boy as hard as he could, directly under his right eye; right where he had seen the bruise covering Kina’s face.

*****

Paz looked up with a smile when he heard Mera call out for Din across the room. The younger boy had disappeared after classes, and he was wondering if he would be interested in playing Ni Ceta. Mera and Jahno had started earlier, and Paz was planning on joining in the next round. He figured it’d be fun for the four of them to get together and play, it’d been a few days since they’d all really gotten the chance to hang out. 

However, all thoughts of the game left when Paz looked up to see the boy in question. Din was, as usual, covered from head to toe in his armor. But even then, there was one major thing that stood out. Din was angry. No, not angry. Din was _furious_. The seemingly emotionless boy, the one who prided himself on his ability to remain calm and indifferent even when he was being falsely accused of slacking off in training for attention (which was complete bantha fodder, kriffing really?) had completely lost his cool. Waves of cold fury seemed to radiate off of the boy as he stalked through the room, and the other Trainees were beginning to notice as well.

The other Trainees, older and newer, shrunk back towards the bunks with nervous or uncertain expressions, clearing the path for the small but deadly seeming boy. Paz watched as Din made his way through the room, right up to Goran and his brothers. 

“Need something, _di’kutla_?”

Paz’s shock switched to anger so quickly, he choked on his own air. Nobody called his precious burc’ya worthless and got away with it. But before he could act, Din responded. 

“ _Gar etyc demagolka_ ”

Paz froze as gasps arose from the Trainees nearby enough to hear the insult. Demagol was an Old Republic Mandalorian scientist who experimented on children. He was everything the Mandalorians hated, and it had become one of the greatest insults to be called by his name. It was never something he’d thought he’d hear come out of his ever-calm friend’s mouth.

Din’s arm drew back, and before anyone could overcome their shock Goran was reeling away, crashing into the end of the bunk and falling to the floor. There was another frozen silence as nobody dared move, Goran staring at Din from the floor as the younger boy stood near motionless. Almost scarily so, the boy’s previous rage had been replaced with an icy coolness. The expressionless visor stared unmercifully down at the older boy for a few moments more, before he gave a sharp nod and turned away.

Paz watched from the silent crowd as Din strode to his bunk, bending down to grab something. When he withdrew, he had a small medkit in his hands. Where he had gotten it, Paz had no clue. Striding back through the crowd of strangely quiet onlookers, Din motioned for the newest and youngest of the Trainees, Kina, to follow him. The last thing Paz saw before they disappeared out the door was Kina’s stolen face, and a bruise that was strangely reminiscent of the one quickly forming on Goran’s own face.

Oh. _Oh_. 

Paz turned back towards the group of boys as the three quickly got up and made their way out of the room. Not on his watch.

The three brothers were not, in fact, going after Din and Kina as Paz had originally feared. But they did go to the forge, where their chief, the Armorer, resided. Paz cringed. They were going to try and get Din in trouble for what he had done to Goran, and Paz didn’t see a way out of it. Din had walked straight up to the older boy and attacked him with no evidence of provocation. Even if Paz’s suspicions were correct and Goran had attacked Kina the same way (the thought made him want to punch the boy himself) there was no proof. But maybe Paz could soften the blow for Din.

Paz debated for a few moments before he quietly followed the older boys, who had yet to notice his presence. He walked into the forgery, standing a little was behind the group as he listened to the tail end of their story.

“Then he just hit him, sent him flying into the bunk!” Exclaimed Atin as he wildly gestured by waving his arms in the air. Paz scowled a little as he noticed Goran dramatically clutching his face. While Paz had no doubt it hurt, he had definitely _not_ been doing that on the walk here.

“Is this true?” The Armorer, a tall and sturdy man with horns on his helmet and a fur cape on his back, asked as he looked around at the other boys in the room. Atin and Cajan nodded, although Cajan’s was a bit more reluctantly. 

The Armorer looked at Paz. “And you? Is that what happened?”

The three other boys whipped around, eyes hardening as they landed on him. Paz chose to ignore their glare on behalf of answering the Armorer.

“No, sir. Well, yes, but not entirely. I have reason to believe that Goran hit Kina which led Din to retaliate.”

The three other boys glared daggers at him while the Armorer stood in silent contemplation. “And do you have proof?”

Paz looked down, then back up as he shuffled his feet awkwardly. “Well...no.” He admitted, trying to ignore the triumphant smirk on Goran’s face.

The Armorer watched him for a few moments longer before nodding and turning back to his forge.

“Very well, then. You may go.”

“But,” Paz mentally groaned as Goran spoke up. “You’re gonna punish him, right?”

The Armorer did not move as he responded. “I will have my apprentice speak with him. You are dismissed.”

Paz turned and left, knowing the others would be quick to follow suit. He didn’t know what would have happened, but he could only hope his input would be enough to keep his burc’ya out of real trouble.

*****

Din led Kina down the dimly lit, less-used halls until they began to slope downward into the abandoned underground area. He’d become adept to traversing these halls in the dark, but Kina had likely not even known this area existed. Flipping on his helmet light so she could see, he led them down a dark hall.

“Here,” He said when they reached the rockfall. “Through there.”

Kina gave him a nervous look, but did as he said, crouching down, she peered into the dark hole before crawling through entirely. Din followed close behind.

“Woah.” Kina looked around at the alcove. It was small in comparison to the other rooms in the covert, but still decently sized enough to snuggly fit several adult Mandos. Din had spruced the place up a bit, even going as far as to carve some shelves into the stone walls, and cover a ledge jutting out the back with some spare blankets and pillows. 

Din pulled off his helmet, settling it on his makeshift stone ‘desk’ where it would shine light throughout the little space. He gave the girl a soft, small smile as he opened the medkit. He never thought he’d show anyone this place, but he needed to fix her up and he couldn’t stand to be around anyone else right then. Besides, he had to begrudgingly admit that the small girl had grown on him, from the moment he’d saved her from Goran’s pointless bullying.

“Neat, huh?” He smiled a little more as she looked around with wide eyes and nodded. “Mind if I take a look at that?” He asked, gesturing to her cheek.

Kina nodded, and scooted a little closer. Din wasn’t exactly sure what to do as he hadn’t taken any medical classes yet, but he figured slapping a bacta patch on couldn’t hurt. He did just that, and Kina’s face relaxed a bit as some of the pain began to seep away. Then she wrinkled her nose.

“It stinks.”

Din gave a startled huff, the closest to a laugh he really got nowadays. Kina smiled at him, clearly delighted by the reaction she had received. 

“Yeah. Yeah, they do.”

The two of them stayed there for the better part of three hours, studying Mando’a together and talking about random things. Or rather, Kina talked, Din mostly listened. Kina was young and not quite able to grasp the fighting techniques quite yet, but she was obviously a quick learner. She had insisted on practicing her Mando’a, as well as having Din teach her some of the stuff the Trainees his age were learning. Needless to say, she had quickly picked up on the fact that Din was a listener, not a talker, and had happily obliged.

Knowing it was getting late, Din stopped her. “Do you want to head back to the Quarters? Everyone else should be asleep by now.”

Kina looked hesitant, and shook her head. Din internally sighed. He probably wouldn’t want to sleep near Goran either if he was in her position.

“Alright. You can stay here then. I’ll wake you up when we need to go to breakfast, sound good?”

Kina grinned, eyes shining. “Yes! Thank you!”

Din rolled his eyes playfully (since when had he become playful? What is _up_ with him right now?) and gestured to the pile of blankets and pillows. “Alright. Up you go.”

Kina’s face somehow got even brighter when he climbed up beside her. As she curled up with her head resting on his thigh, he leaned back against the wall. Glancing down at the small girl with a tiny smile, he brushed some of her hair out of her face.

“G’night vod’ika.”

Din froze for a moment. He hadn’t intended for those words to fall out of his mouth. He hadn’t even realized he’d _thought_ of her as a younger sister. But Kina looked up at him with wide blue eyes, a smile nearly cracking her face in half as she responded.

“‘Night ori’vod.”

And he decided he didn’t mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> jate ca - good night
> 
> Me’bana - What happened
> 
> Kaysh nynir ni - He hit me
> 
> Me’ven - exclamation of shock or disbelief, such as ‘huh?’ or ‘what?’
> 
> di’kutla - useless, worthless
> 
> Gar etyc demagolka - you are what is basically the Mandalorian equivalent of a monster; it’s described better in the fic, lol
> 
> vod’ika - little sister (gender neutral, but sister in this context)
> 
> ori’vod - older brother (again, gender neutral, but brother with context)


	6. Aliit?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting fights doesn’t go unpunished...right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suuuper-duper sorry for now getting this up, I had this chapter finished several days ago but have had no internet. We’re good now though! Sorry to say, I’ve been feeling a little down and super stressed recently, so it might be a bit before I have another chapter up. I want to be into the story when I write, I’d feel bad posting half-hearted attempts. Hopefully it’ll all be good soon though! I hope you all enjoy the next chapter! 💜 
> 
> P.S - I was having a bit of trouble figuring out how to word what I was trying to express in this chapter? Like, I’m always bad at finding words to explain myself, but it was particularly bad whilst writing this. Idk if it makes sense or not, but i tried my best soo.. oh well? I hope you can understand everything, lol

Early the next morning Din gently shook Kina awake. Correction: early the next morning, Din _tried_ to shake Kina awake. Eyes shut tight, the girl’s face twisted into a pout as she grumbled something incomprehensible into her leg-pillow. 

Din sighed, trying his hardest to suppress a smile. Once he got his facial expressions under control (it worried him that he had to do that in the first place) he gently shook her shoulder again, firmer this time. 

“C’mon, get up. You gotta get ready for breakfast and practice.”

Kina’s eyes blinked open as she let out a yawn, stretching her arms as she sat up. With another annoyed grumble, she slid off the makeshift bed and walked over to the door. She hadn’t ever changed last night, so she was already dressed for the day; it wasn’t like her clothes were going to smell any worse than they already did at the end of the day. 

Din watched as she ran her fingers through her hair a few times with an irritated huff. “Problem?”

“Mom used to do my hair for me. It always falls into my face.” She replied, annoyance heavy in her voice.

“Well,” Din began hesitantly. “If you want, I- I could do it for you.”

She turned and gave him a quick look of disbelief as she continued to finger comb the tangoes out. “You know how to do hair? A girl’s hair?”

Din gave a small nod. “Um, yeah, I guess. I used to help do my mom’s hair, it was fun for both of us.” Kina looked a little skeptical, but she nodded in agreement nonetheless.

Walking over, Din had her turn around. Taking strands from each side of her face, he quickly made two thin braids from the front of her head to the back, affectively holding the rest of her hair out of her face. He stood still for a few seconds as he tried to decide how to prevent it from coming undone when Kina produced a small plastic band from seemingly nowhere.

“Here you go.”

Din quickly tied up the hair, and stepped back to admire his work. He was a little out of practice, but he thought it looked pretty nice, all things considered. “Alright, your good to go.”

Kina smiled as she reached up to feel the two braids, Din walking over to his pile of armor. As she waited for Din to put on his armor, she looked around the room dimly lit by his helmets light.

“How’d you find this place?”

Din glanced up from where he was fastening his armor. “The alcove? I found it when I was a new Foundling. I’m not a... a people person. So I wandered the halls by myself instead, explored. I somehow found this place, and I’ve been using it as my own little quiet area ever since.”

Kina hummed in acknowledgement, eyes still roving the little room. A sudden thought crossed Din’s mind as he watched her, beginning to fill him with dread.

“Listen,” He awkwardly began as he fastened his last piece of armor. “I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who knows about this place, and- and I’d like to keep it that way. So, can you keep this to yourself?”

Kina looked him in the eye and nodded seriously. “Of course. It’s a great hideout, I wouldn’t ruin that for anything. It’s all yours” she added, even as she looked around a little mournfully.

“Y’know, you can come down here whenever you’d like now. It’ll be our spot.” Din watched as the young girl’s eyes widened.

“Really?” She squeaked out.

Din gave her one of his rare smiles (although it seemed like he’d done that quite a bit in the previous day) and nodded. “Yeah. You’re my- you’re my vod’ika, remember? Just make sure you aren’t followed.”

With a squeal, Kina threw herself at Din, wrapping her little arms around his armored waist. “Vorer, ori’vod!”

Din gave a startled huff of amusement. “Yeah, yeah, alright. Now let’s go.”

Kina released him, still grinning widely. Din rolled his eyes as he grabbed his helmet, sliding it over his head. 

The two made their way into the Mess Hall. It was still early enough that it wasn’t too busy, but there were quite a few early risers. Grabbing some trays of food, Din led Kina over to his burc’ya’s normal table, in the back corner. Mera, Jahno, and Paz were all already there, looking more than a little worried. As they spotted Din and Kina making their way over, they immediately looked relieved.

Din took a seat across the table from Paz, and with one spot between him and Mera. Mera waved Kina over to sit next to her. After what looked like a few moments of internal debate, Kina decided to break the unspoken rule, choosing the seat between Mera and Din.

Jahno and Paz glanced up expectantly from across the table. Mera wouldn’t mind of course, but they had all grown to know and accept Din’s need for personal space. He appreciated it, really, but he didn’t mind. It was Kina. He now apparently thought of her as a younger sister, and he was certain Mera felt the same. 

Din took off his helmet to eat, and without taking his eyes off his food, promptly placed it on the younger girls head. The startled girl’s head swung back and forth, the slightly oversized helmet wobbling with each little movement. Din ignored the shocked looks of the others as he calmly dug into his food. 

He had to begrudgingly accept that they’d all wriggled their way into his heart; he couldn’t keep lying to himself. Well, if he was going to acknowledge it he was at _least_ going to have some fun doing so.

“Whaaaat just happened?” Questioned Jahno as he watched Kina scramble to get the helmet off. Lifting the oversized helmet off her head, she set it on the table between them as she glared at Din. The braids were still fine, but a few strands of her light brown hair was sticking up in places. Jahno couldn’t help but let out a snort, and Mera failed to hide some giggles. Paz shoved some food in his mouth to hide the fact that he was grinning.

Casually glancing over, Din calmly met Kina’s glare. “You gotta little something right...there.” He said, gesturing to her hair.

“Kriff. You. Ori’vod.”

The rest of the table stilled at that, all heads swinging to Din to gauge his reaction. Well, he’d planned on letting them know eventually. Either that, or they’d find out on their own, so. Besides, it’s not like he didn’t already think of all of them as family, no matter _how_ hard he’d try not to. Kriffing burc’ya and their kriffing tendency to be kriffing nice to him. Kriff them.

“Ouch. That really, _really_ hurt vod’ika.” He said it in the most monotone way he possibly could have mustered up, eliciting a giggle from the girl no matter how hard she tried to keep the scowl. Din went back to his food and waited. All at once, the three others at the table around them broke out into grins before swiftly digging into their own food.

Paz suddenly looked up, a worried expression on his face as he glanced toward Din. “Din, there’s something I should warn you abou-”

“Does Din Djarin sit here?” One of the adult Mandos had walked over to their table and was scanning each of their faces, as though he’d be able to pick a kid he didn’t know out of the crowd. Maybe he could. The Mandalorian’s visored gaze lingered on Din’s armor for a few moments as he waited for a response.

The five Trainees shared nervous looks (well, four of them did; Din somehow managed to keep his indifferent mask despite his nerves) before Din stood and nodded.

“You are to come with me. The Armorer would like to speak with you.”

Din quickly grabbed his helmet and slipped it on his head, worried his face would slip and betray some of his anxiety. As he stepped away from the table and began to follow the older Mando, Kina called out.

“Wait!” She quickly scrambled off her seat, running over to Din’s side. “Is this about yesterday? He was just defending me, I should go-”

The older Mandalorian quickly quieted her with a quick hand gesture that Mandalorians used to signal others ‘be quiet’ during field work. “This is between him and the Armorer. It is not for you to decide.” Turning back to Din he began to walk towards the door once more. “K’olar.”

Din followed quietly, although he gave a quick nod of thanks to Kina as he passed. The poor girl looked like she felt absolutely awful. He wished she wouldn’t blame herself, he knew exactly what he could be getting into when he attacked Goran. Well, sort of. Maybe not. He hadn’t really been _thinking_ at all during the whole debacle. Well, it was too late to go back now, and Din refused to regret what he had done. 

The older Mandalorian led him through the halls, stopping just before the doorway to the Forge. Silently stepping to the side, he allowed Din to somewhat timidly slip past and into the room. Din had only seen the Armorer twice before, both at the beginning of his time as a Trainee. Once to get measurements, and once to receive his armor. The Armorer hadn’t done or said anything to make Din dislike him; in fact, he’d barely spoken to Din at all. It was just the aura he presented, a presence that said he was powerful and deadly, even more dangerous than he looked. And Din thought he looked dangerous enough already.

It was typical for Mandalorians, Trainee or otherwise, to take an occasional trip to the Forge in order to get their armor checked out. But Din took good care of his armor, way more care then anyone else he’d noticed, and he hadn’t grown at all either. So he had seen no need to grace the Armorer with his presence. Mostly because it had felt like he was _disgracing_ the Armorer with his presence.

Stepping into the Forge, Din braced himself for the piercing gaze that always seemed to see right through him, picking apart every bad deed he’d ever done. He stepped into the Forge and was met with...

Not the Armorer.

The Mandalorian in front of him had a soft golden-colored armor with horns on top, not unlike the Armorer’s although they were much shorter. He suspected she was on the younger side, but he had no way of telling for sure with the helmet’s voice modulator and the, well, armor.

Din’s confusion must have shown in his posture (or maybe the person before him had an abnormally good sense of intuition), because the Mandalorian in front of him nodded her head and gave an explanation.

“I am the Apprentice to the Armorer. I’m afraid the Armorer is not able to meet with you today.” She gave a pause before continuing, the slightest hint of amusement in her voice. “Although I take it you don’t much mind.”

Din winced behind his helmet. Definitely the intuition then.

“It’s not that I don’t like him, it’s-”

“I understand young one. But we are not here to discuss your like or dislike of your elders. We are here to come to an understanding of the unfortunate circumstances that occurred yesterday. To attack a fellow Trainee who is unarmed, unprovoked is not a light accusation to be made against you.”

Din sighed and looked down. He really hadn’t thought through what he had done. Sure Goran did the same thing, quite frequently in fact, but even he wasn’t so dumb as to do it in front of half a barracks worth of witnesses.

“Do you deny the accusations made against you?”

Din looked up and met her gaze, visor to visor. “No.”

The older Mandalorian paused for a moment, and suspected she was giving him a look from behind her helmet. “If you do not deny the accusation, we have no choice but to punish you for your actions.”

“I did, and the whole barracks saw it. What would be the point in denying?”

“So you admit to attacking an unarmed Trainee without provocation?”

Din paused, thinking over his options. He supposed it wasn’t entirely true, and the Mandalorian before him seemed to be hinting that he should try to defend himself. He didn’t really _want_ to get in trouble, but he _had_ done it. But maybe... maybe he could think of it like a form of strategy training. He wants to get _out_ of the bad situation at hand, not accept it for what it is and take the punishment. He could find a strategic way to not lie, yet still avoid punishment, right?

Besides, if he gave in then Goran would know exactly how to push his buttons, and get Din in trouble instead of himself.

“Actually,” He began. “It wasn’t unprovoked. I found Kina in the hall, she was really upset. He had cornered her on the way back from the Mess Hall and told her she was weak and no one would adopt her. He hit her hard enough for it to bruise. So I returned the favor.”

The Apprentice regarded him in silence for a few moments more, and he got the impression she was pleased with his decision to defend himself. With a nod of her golden helmet, she spoke. “To defend another who cannot defend themselves is an honorable thing. However, your rash actions must not go unacknowledged. I will have to inform your clan of this incident, and they shall deal with it as they deem necessary.”

Din froze at that, catching the attention of the Apprentice immediately. He hadn’t quite realized the extent his lack of clan would affect him. He still couldn’t quite bring himself to regret that decision, either. He had to admit, he sorta liked his solitary life right now. He could stay in the Trainee’s Quarters when he felt the urge to socialize, and spend time in his hidden alcove when he didn’t. There was no one to tell him what he could or couldn’t do, or question where he’d been or what he did. And there is no one for him to run the risk of losing.

Or at least, there wasn’t. Kriffing friends.

“Is there something you’d like to say?” The Apprentice was looking at him a little expectantly. Din took a deep breath. He’d known he couldn’t hide it forever, but... he was hoping for more time.

“I, uh. I don’t have a clan.”

There was a moment of silence, the Apprentice’s quietness the only thing hinting that she was surprised. Her posture and stance hadn’t changed one bit. It was honestly impressive.

“No one was willing to take you in?” She sounded less surprised, more curious. That was to be expected though. Family was incredibly important to Mandalorians as Din had learned, and it was very strange for no one to be willing to accept a Foundling into their home.

“No, that’s- that’s not the reason.” While the thought had crossed Din’s mind that he’d have been unwanted anyway, he hadn’t let himself care. He didn’t want a clan anyway, so why advertise himself as a clanless Foundling and give them the chance to reject him? “I didn’t want one, so I laid low.”

“That is... quite the impressive feat to convince an entire covert of Mandalorians you have a clan. How did you manage this?” She seemed genuinely curious, but Din couldn’t help but lower his gaze. What would he do if she insisted on getting him adopted?

“I- I spend a lot of time alone. I already don’t talk a lot, and everyone else is so loud all the time. I prefer it. And i do my best not to draw attention to myself.” He scowled beneath his helmet. “Though I suppose that’s all down the drain now if it wasn’t already.”

“And why would your efforts already be lost?”

Din mentally berated himself. How big of a kriffing di’kut does he have to be to give all his faults way to the Armorer’s apprentice? “This... this isn’t the first time we’ve fought. Goran and I.”

He got the impression of raised eyebrows, and knew he had to elaborate. With a few more mental insults to himself, he continued. “At Paz’s tenth birthday party, Goran was making fun of Kina. She was brand new then. He- he made a jab about her not having her mom to cry to, and I got mad. I distracted him so she could slip away, and he and Atin tried to attack me.” With a wince, he thought back on his actions that night. “I may not have used the most strategic approach to distract him though... I was mad...” he added again, lamely. 

The Apprentice nodded in understanding. “The broken nose.” She concluded. Din gave a nod as she gazed at him once more. “And I am to continue to let you be without a clan?”

Din startled a little at the sudden change of subject, though he thought he managed to hide it pretty well. He was sure the Apprentice had noticed either way. Oh well. “Yes?”

“You realize our tribe is our clans, our clans are our family, and our family is our strength? To be without a clan is to be without family, and so on.”

Din straightened up as she spoke, squaring his shoulders in an attempt to make himself seem more muscular then he really was. He got the impression she didn’t buy it. “Mandalorians have a saying, ‘Aliit ori’shya tal’din.’ Family is more than blood. Well, I say family is also more than your abilities or your looks. I don’t want to be taken in because I’m ‘that poor little clanless boy’ or because I ‘have potential’. I want to be taken in by those who will stick around because they _want_ to. Because they like me and I like them.” His mind flashed an image through his head from a few nights ago, of him and Paz playing a card game against Mera and Jahno, Kina stretched out to watch with her head on Mera’s lap. “And I have that.”

The Apprentice gazed at him, neither speaking nor moving, for what felt like hours but was probably only a matter of seconds. “You are afraid of being left alone again, of becoming attached only to be left or discarded by those you held dear.”

Excuse him, what? How the actual kriff did she jump to that? And how was it so exact?

She must have noticed his mental shutdown, because she decided to continue. “Your words were wise and bold, young one, but you are still inexperienced. Your stature and tone of voice carry an undercurrent or deeper meaning.” Din felt himself freeze for a moment, before she spoke to reassure him. “You are enclosed to those who frequently surround you, but you can hide nothing from me, youngling.”

Din gave a slow nod as he comprehended this. That didn’t make it any less unnerving though. At least she was better than the seemingly cold way the Armorer picked him apart.

“I would ask who these people that you have deemed worthy are, but I feel I already know the answer. Only a vod could hold such a loving and protective instinct over a younger sibling, and I have seen you interact with your other friends. They will serve you well, and I wish you the best in the future to come. Families face many difficulties, but they help each other through. You may go.”

Din hesitated for a moment, almost asking whether he would still need a punishment. But he met her visored gaze, and something told him he should keep quiet. He thought he understood. If he brought it up again, they would have to discuss it. This way, they could have been ‘sidetracked’ and forgotten about it. 

Din smiled behind his mask as he turned to leave. He was very grateful to the Apprentice, and he began to wonder if her words held a deeper meaning as well. Was she trying to give him advice? He suspected she was. 

As he headed back to the Mess Hall, he felt a little lighter. Maybe she was right; maybe he could allow himself a family, even if it was just his fellow Trainees. After all, even if it wasn’t ‘official’ he could think of no one else he’d rather have to think of as his aliit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> Aliit - Clan/family
> 
> Vod’ika - little sister
> 
> Vorer ori’vod - thanks big brother
> 
> Burc’ya - friend
> 
> K’olar - Come (command)
> 
> Di’kut - idiot, useless
> 
> Vod - brother (or sister, gender neutral; brother in this case)


	7. Skira

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paz begins to come to a realization about Din and his aliit while the other boy is taken to see the Apprentice.
> 
> When a training session goes wrong, how will everyone react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I’m finally back. I’m so, so sorry for leaving you all for so long. I re-read the story yesterday to see where I left off and get a feel for the writing again, and read all your comments while I was at it. And let me just say, thank you! You all are truly the best, and all your kind words really did motivate me more.
> 
> I wrote a chapter immediately, and made sure I had one immediately after it as well. I still don’t have a set schedule, and probably never will, but I don’t want to leave you hanging like that again.
> 
> PLEASE READ THIS PART, KINDA IMPORTANT!
> 
> This chapter for some reason got a little... gruesome. I made little squiggleys ~~~ to mark where to stop reading if you might be triggered by it. I’ll leave a brief description in the end notes to fill anybody who skipped over it in on what happened.

Paz sat at the table, a feeling of dread coming over him as they watched Din be led out of the Mess Hall by the older Mando. Glancing around, he saw that the others seemed to be feeling the same; Kina even looked close to tears, probably blaming herself for the whole mess.

Mera seemed to have noticed as well, as she turned and patted the younger girl’s hand, offering up a small smile. “Well, no use in worrying. Din will be fine. We need to eat before training.”

The others nodded and dug into their food, albeit more gloomily than before. As Paz ate, he found himself thinking back to what the older Mandalorian had said.

“ _Does Din Djarin sit here?_ ”

Paz frowned, setting down his fork and leaning back slightly in his seat. “Din Djarin.” He murmured, and Jahno gave him a curious look. “It’s just.. Have any of you heard of a Clan Djarin? I definitely haven’t, and I thought I knew all the clan’s names.”

Mera and Jahno glanced at each other, before simultaneously turning back to Paz and shaking their heads. “We haven’t either, but we don’t know many of the clans to begin with. Maybe you’ve heard of them, but it slipped your mind.”

Paz nodded at Mera’s response and returned to his food, but the thought continued to nag at him. Maybe she was right. Maybe he _had_ just forgotten about the clan. He’d just have to pay closer attention to his studies from then on out.

Soon enough, everyone had finished eating and it was time for the day’s training. They didn’t have any actual classes today, just a mandatory self-defense lesson in the Training Room. They would do a quick review of some basic moves, before sparring on some mats. He hoped to see Din there.

  
*****

  
Din glanced at the time as he walked through the halls, and realized that their mandatory meet up in the Training Room had started nearly twenty standard minutes ago. He gave an audible sigh, before changing directions to head to the Training Room. No breakfast today he supposed. It wasn’t like he usually ate much anyway, but he’d have preferred to have some food in his system before sparring. It was never good to be low on energy for training, and he had missed dinner the previous night as well. Oh well.

Reaching the door, Din silently slipped through and quietly tried to make his way to the back of the group of Trainees. Lucky for him, they were still going through the demonstrations, and hadn’t begun the actual sparring yet. Maybe his absence wouldn’t be noticed...

“Din!” 

Just his luck. Looking up, Din met the visored gaze of Silas through his own helmet. He could feel the gazes of the other Trainees on him, and gave an inaudible huff of annoyance. He hated being the center of attention, especially when he was being called out for his ‘bad behavior.’

“Is there a reason you’ve joined us so late?” Silas’s gaze was piercing, though not in the same way as the Armorer or the Apprentice, Din noted. It was as if he was trying to read Din, but wasn’t quite sure how. Din locked that away as possibly useful information, or at least for assuring himself in the future that he wasn’t as easily read as the Apprentice had made him seem. 

“Sorry sir. I was with the Apprentice.” He spoke in his usual quiet tone, but his voice still carried to where Silas stood at the front of the group of Trainees. After a few more moments of silence, he gave Din a slight not of his helmet.

“Very well then.”

Din nodded in return, and glanced around as the demonstration started back up. He spotted Paz sitting near Mera and Jahno, trying to subtly sneak glances his way. With an amused huff, Din quietly picked his way over and sat down beside the older boy.

Paz seemed to immediately relax a bit, though he was still quite tense. “You good?” He muttered through the helmet, quiet enough that only Din could hear.

Din got the message. Paz wanted to know if he was let off easy. Well, he supposed you could call it that. He got off scot-free in terms of punishment, but having to reveal his lack of clan to the Apprentice was in no way easy to Din. He chose to ignore that second part as he responded.

“We came to an... understanding of sorts. I’m good to go.”

Paz seemed a little surprised, but finally let himself fully relax nonetheless. It made Din smile to see his.. his _friend_ , so worried for him. It made him smile even more when he saw Paz give a subtle thumbs up to Jahno and Mera, causing them to relax as well. He truly did have good friends.

Leaning over towards Paz, he asked a question of his own. “Where’s Kina?”

“They took the newer Foundlings who haven’t learned this stuff yet somewhere else to teach them. We should see her at lunch.”

Din nodded before standing with the rest of the Trainees as Silas began to announce their sparring partners. Two by two, pairs of Trainees began to head to sparring mats, preparing for the signal to go. Mera got paired with Briike, Jahno with Kal, and they headed off to separate mats. Paz was paired with an older boy that Din didn’t know the name of, while Din was paired with...

Goran. Of course.

Din refused to be unsettled by the malicious grin on the older boy’s face. He knew he could take him no problem one on one. At least this way Din could teach the slimy piece of bantha poodoo a lesson _without_ being sent to the higher ups.

Striding over to their training mat, Din got on one end and dropped into a defensive crouch. He began to analyze his situation as the remaining pairs got called off in the background. As stupid as the older boy was, he was certainly wanting the chance to get a good hit or two on Din. He’d have to be careful. 

Goran was more heavily built then Din, but not quite as muscular as Paz. He was taller than both of them too, (and if he was taller than Paz, he towered over Din) and Din noted his longer arms. He’d have to watch out for his reach, but maybe his smaller size could come in handy. With any luck, he’d be able to dodge around any of Goran’s attempts to grab him. 

Silas called for them to start, and they were off. 

Goran took a steady swipe at Din, which he easily dodged. If Din had been a lesser fighter, he would have scoffed at the pathetic attempt. But he was a Mandalorian Trainee, and took his training seriously. Goran was taking the time to size him up, and get a feel for his movements.

Best not let him have the chance, then.

In one, swift movement, Din feinted to one side before diving past Goran on the other, immediately dropping and swinging his foot at Goran’s legs. Goran crashed down, but rather than being beaten so easily he quickly rolled into a crouch, spinning to face Din. There was a slightly manic gleam in his eyes as he stared Din down, and as one they both launched at the other. 

Din ducked beneath Goran’s oncoming fist, and Goran quickly sidestepped a swipe of Din’s own. Din quickly tried to spin around behind the older boy, but Goran tracked his movements perfectly. Barely catching the older boy’s next punch, Din managed to hit a pressure point meant to numb the opponent’s appendage, and grab him in a choke hold. He held him for a few moments, unrelenting to the older boys struggles, and waited for him to tap out or pass out.

Goran’s struggles grew weaker, and then...

And then Din felt a stabbing pain in his stomach, causing him to double over and lose his grip on the older boy. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Din barely registered a small hilt sticking out of his stomach before he instinctually reached up to catch another punch. Pain urging him forward, the smaller boy used the momentum of the swing to yank the larger Trainee off balance. As Goran fell to the ground, Din placed a swift kick to his head, knocking him out cold. 

Completely undignified, and definitely against sparring rules, but he was in too much pain to care. A wave of nausea swept over him, and he barely restrained from vomiting in his helmet.

Dimly, he registered a ‘whoop’ sounding in the distance. Way more distant than it should have sounded, but his vision was too fuzzy to make anything out through his visor. Din ripped off his helmet and let it fall to the mat with a soft ‘thud’ as he immediately brought his hands back to clutch at his stomach. Glancing up, he tried to see what was going on around him. From what he could make out, Paz had just won his match.

The older boy turned around, grinning broadly and eyes gleaming with victory, just as Din went into a small coughing fit. Paz’s eyes widened in fear and horror, as Din felt something wet and sticky on his lips. Paz opened his mouth and Din watched him mouth his name, although a rushing noise prevented him from hearing anything.

Through his quickly fading vision Din watched as Paz raced towards him, though he was to slow to catch Din as he fell. The older boy slid to his knees next to his friend, and Din felt as he gently lifted his head off the ground with one hand as the other inspected his wound. 

The last thing Din saw before everything faded to black was Paz’s glistening eyes and terrified expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so basically, during the training session Din got the upper hand whilst sparring against Goran, but the older Trainee had a hidden blade on him. He stabbed Din, who proceeded to beat his shebs and knock him out before collapsing in front of Paz.
> 
> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> Skira - settling personal scores, revenge


	8. Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Din in the Med Bay, his increasingly worried. Will he be alright? Probably. Does that calm their nerves? Absolutely not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, after leaving y’all for so long I couldn’t bring myself to leave you on a cliff hanger like that. I meant to upload back to back, but some stuff came up and I had to take care of that first. 
> 
> PLEASE READ THIS PART JUST IN CASE
> 
> Once again, I sectioned off any potential triggers with more squigglies. Stop reading at the first row, and continue after the next if needed! It’s pretty much just Paz’s POV for the end of the last chapter.

Paz let out a joyful ‘ _whoop_ ’ of triumph, having finally defeated Samille in a sparring match. He had gone against the other boy a few times in the past, but Samille had always somehow gotten the upper hand in the end. He held out a hand to help the other up, receiving a broad grin in return.

“Well done Paz! Had to happen sometime I suppose. Looking forward to a rematch.”

Paz nodded and watched as the other boy turned to find his own group of friends. Speaking of friends, Paz wondered if Din had seen his victory. He hoped he had. 

Paz turned to see if Din’s match had finished, only to freeze at what he saw. All lingering joy at his win was immediately wiped off his face, and he knew it was replaced by a look of utmost horror.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Din was doubled over, clutching his stomach. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments before Din was caught up in a coughing fit. Paz felt as if someone had ripped the breath right out of his lungs as shimmering red blood coated Din’s lips and splattered on the mat he was standing on.

Although he couldn’t quite seem to control his own movements, Paz distantly registered himself screaming Din’s name. From the corners of his eyes, he saw the other Trainees jump and spin towards him at the sudden outburst, and Silas turned to look from where he was giving pointers across the room. Paz noted that the older Mandalorian started running at the same time as him, but he knew neither of them would make it on time. 

He watched in terrified horror as Din’s body collapsed, twisting out of what seemed like pure instinct to land on his back. Paz got there a few seconds too late to save his head from hitting the ground, sliding to his knees next the the younger boy. If he had thought Din looked small and defenseless whilst battling a nightmare-filled sleep, he looked ten times worse collapsed on the ground with blood coating his mouth.

Paz cradled the younger boy’s head in one hand as he quickly sought out the wound with his other. Pure anger spiked through him at the sight of the hilt buried in Din’s body, the blade piercing through his stomach. 

Frantically, he looked back to Din’s face. Sweat plastered dark locks of hair to the boy’s face as he stared at Paz with dim eyes.

“Come on buddy, come on bur’cya. Stay awake, don’t close your eyes, just stay awake.” He knew saying that was useless, as he watched Din fighting a losing battle with unconsciousness. As much as the boy was trying to stay conscious, his eyelids began to flutter shut. 

As his eyes finally closed and ceased to open once more, Silas dropped to the ground next to Paz, quickly followed by Jahno and Mera. Mera had tears in her eyes, and Jahno looked like he was doing his best not to cry as well. Paz realized he probably looked the same.

He quickly turned his attention back to Din, and locked his eyes on the ragged rise and fall of his friend’s chest, signifying life. He knew his friend _probably_ wouldn’t die (or at least, that’s what he chose to tell himself) but it was hard to believe at the moment. From the second Din’s deep, chocolatey eyes had closed and refused to flutter back open, Paz had had a nagging fear that he would never see them again. Din had finally started taking his helmet off more often around his friends as well, and Paz had quite enjoyed being able to see the hidden emotions in his eyes that refused to show in the boy’s expressions. 

Silas carefully pulled the blade from Din’s stomach, blood gleaming on its end. Ripping off a piece of his own clothing (he still had another layer on underneath), their mentor firmly applied pressure to the wound. “The medics have been alerted to the situation, they should be here shortly.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As if on cue, the group of wide-eyed Trainees that had gathered around split apart to allow three Mandos and a stretcher to rush through. Quickly assessing the situation, they lowered the stretcher to the ground and carefully lifted Din onto it. Paz and the twins reluctantly backed away, allowing the Medical Mandalorians to carry their friend back through the crowd and out the door. 

The room was quiet even after they had left, and Silas hung his head for a moment before sharply looking up. In a deadly voice that no one, not even the worst behaved Trainees, had ever heard him use before, he spoke.

“ _What. Happened._ ” 

The Trainees all glanced around at each other, but no one came forward. They had all been too wrapped up in their own matches to pay attention to anyone else’s. Silas let out a slightly defeated sounding sigh and turning to Paz and speaking in a more gentle tone. 

“Then I suppose we should start with what we do know. What all did you see?”

Paz paused for a moment to clear his head and organize his jumbled thoughts. It didn’t work very well. However, he was a little proud to note that when he _did_ speak, his voice was strong and unwavering.

“I had just finished with my match, and turned around to see if Din had finished. He was doubled over grabbing his stomach, and I saw him start coughing up blood. That’s when I yelled his name and ran over here, but he collapsed before I got to him.”

Silas nodded, and tuned back to the rest of the Trainees. “Who all was sparring over here?” He gestured to the mats next to Din and Goran’s.

No one said anything at first until one girl, Briike, stepped forward. “I don’t believe either of the mats next to them were in use. They were by themselves.”

Silas looked around for confirmation, and the other Trainees nodded in agreement. Turning, the mentor looked back at the mat and the body still laying on it, as if realizing for the first time that there was another kid there. Striding over, he crouched next to Goran’s motionless form and felt for a pulse.

“He’s unconscious.”

Paz watched as Silas sat in silence, before seeming to come to a decision. Grimly, the older Mandalorian reaches down and began to pat down Goran’s unconscious body. After a few minutes, he pulled something out from the folds of Goran’s shirt, tucked into his belt.

It was an empty sheath belonging to a small blade. 

Although nothing more was needed for confirmation in Paz’s eyes, he watched in silence as the mentor grabbed the bloody blade and slid it into the sheath to find a perfect fit. Silas immediately stood and ungraciously grabbed the unconscious boy by his arm, lifting him up as well. Turning back to the Trainees, he gave a quick, “you are dismissed, go to lunch” before swiftly walking out of the room, unconscious Goran being pulled alongside him.

As the other Trainees began to slowly and uncertainly make their way out of the Training Room, Paz turned to Mera and Jahno. Both had barely suppressed tears in their eyes, and looked helplessly back at Paz. As the eldest by several years, they were looking to him for guidance.

“What do we do now?” Mera quietly whispered. She clutched Jahno’s arm tightly, as if afraid she might lose him too.

Paz took a deep breath before responding. “We go to lunch.”

  
The three friends gloomily picked at their food. The whole of the Mess Hall was significantly quieter than usual, the typical shouts and banter reduced to quiet murmurs and whispers across tables. Paz couldn’t find and appetite, and he knew Mera and Jahno couldn’t either.

Suddenly, the quiet Mess Hall began to regain some of its usual volume, but not by much. Paz glanced up and felt his stomach drop as he realized what was going on. The group of newer Trainees had returned from their separate session. 

A lone form broke off from the new crowd, carrying their tray to the table in the back corner where Paz, Mera, and Jahno were situated.

“People are saying someone got really hurt in your guys’— where’s Din?” Kina’s voice changed from worry to alarm as she noticed the missing member from their group. The sudden tenseness of the rest of the friends definitely did not help, and only made Kina panic more. 

Setting down her tray, the small girl sank down in what would normally be Din’s seat, tears leaking from her eyes as she pulled her legs up to her chest and mumbled some sort of gibberish. 

No, not gibberish Paz realized. It was some mixture of Mando’a, Basic, and another language he didn’t recognize. From the confused and worried looks shared between Mera and Jahno, they didn’t either. After a moment, Paz awkwardly stood from his seat and walked around the table to sit next to Kina, gently laying a comforting hand on her back. 

“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. Din’s tough, he can make it through anything.”

Although Paz spoke to reassure Kina and the others, his own mind screamed doubts at him on the inside. What would he do if he never saw those expressive chocolate-icing eyes again? How would he cope without seeing one of those rare smiles that melted him from the inside, no matter how small? What would he do without Din, the small, quiet, soft-spoken boy with his secretly big heart?

Paz quickly shook away his negative thoughts. Din would be fine, he knew he would. In fact, he couldn’t believe that kriffing di’kut had the nerve to scare him like that! He oughta pummel that kid for this as soon as he was released from the Med Bay. 

Paz hurriedly dismissed the thought. As if he could ever bring himself to harm sweet little Din. Outside of sparring, of course. Besides, it wasn’t _Din’s_ fault he had been stabbed, Paz _knew_ that, it’s just... It was hard for him _not_ to be angry.

Paz sighed, and began rubbing soothing circles into Kina’s back. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing, but it seemed to help so he kept at it. “I’ll tell you what. If all three of you can eat at least half of your food, we’ll go to the Med Bay right after this and see how he’s doing. Deal?”

Mera rose her eyebrows in response, before asking, “What about you?”

Paz let out a sigh. “I will too.”

  
*****

  
The Apprentice stood in the Med Bay next to the bed containing Din. He looked so much smaller, so much more vulnerable, than he had just a couple of hours before in the Forge. Yet that, she thought, was the beauty and nature of Mandalorians. No matter one’s size, origin, or past, a Mandalorian was resilient above all else. Yes, they were good fighters, but what use was that if one could not bounce back into battle after sustaining an injury?

Yes, little Din would pull through this, and she knew it. She knew a Mandalorian when she saw one, and this boy was certainly of Mandalorian blood. If not physically, then spiritually. 

She turned as a medic walked up to her. “Should we contact his clan, ma’am?” 

The Apprentice turned and gazed once more upon the boy who was so adamant about not having a clan. Although she didn’t quite fully agree with him herself, she knew that they had different experiences from life. She had been a Clan-Born, raised and cared for by her whole family. Din had lost all he had, and was understandably weary of gaining more. He did not want to have the risk of losing more people he loved, and it was not her decision to make.

“His Clan have already been alerted to the situation at hand, and no further reminder is needed.”

Din had been alerted to the situation the moment he had seen the hilt in his stomach, and she was certain he didn’t need any further reminders. The pain he’d feel (though dulled by medication) and the bandages he’d see wrapped around himself when he awoke would be enough of a reminder.

The medic gave her a slightly confused look (they were 90% sure no family member had been contacted) but nodded and left to attend to other patients.

The Apprentice looked down at the boy once more. “You are strong, Din. You will make a fine Mandalorian one day.”

And with that, she left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured this ending was a better one to leave off on than the previous chapter’s, I hope you enjoyed reading! Uploading this chapter, I realized how many hits there’s already been since I posted the last one this morning. So thank you, so SO much to all the people reading this, it means a lot to me!
> 
> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> Di’kut - idiot
> 
> Bur’cya - friend


	9. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Typically, every severe injury comes with a price. Sometimes, that price is the loss of a limb. Maybe even a loved one.
> 
> For Din? It’s dealing with the meds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait. I’d hoped to get this up sooner, but I was having trouble wording the next chapter. I wanted to make sure I knew where I was going with it before I posted this one, in case I needed to change anything. Also? Quarantine = as much homework/tests/projects as my teachers can manage to squeeze in.
> 
> Anyway, another apology. You don’t get to see what happens to Goran yet. I’m still thinking that through as well. It’ll probably seem anticlimactic when we do get to it...
> 
> Anyway, on to the story! I hope y’all enjoy!

Din slowly felt himself drifting back into consciousness, and struggled to open his eyes. His head felt thick and foggy, and there was a dull, throbbing pain in his stomach. What had happened?

Ceasing his struggles to wake up, Din tried to make himself relax and clear his mind. It was hard, but he soon managed to grasp a short memory. He had been sparring with Goran, that much he knew...

He remembered getting him into a chokehold, about to win, but something... something had happened to make the match last longer than it should have. But what was it?

As he slowly regained consciousness, the throbbing in his stomach made itself more prominent.

His stomach. That’s right, he’d felt a pain in his stomach and- 

And there was a blade. Goran had stabbed him. _Goran had stabbed him._

Din felt a flare of adrenaline and panic course through his veins. He had to get up! Where was he now? Finally managing to force his eyes open, Din shot upright only to clutch his stomach with a grimace and slowly lower himself back down. Perhaps that wasn’t the brightest idea he had ever had.

He took a slow, shallow breath so as not to further disturb his injury, before looking around the room. He was in the Med Bay, he realized. So someone had alerted the medics to the problem, and he had been rushed here. _Of course someone had noticed and alerted the medics_ Din mentally scolded himself. _You were in a room filled with Trainees, how could someone not notice?_

Irritated with his slow, medicinal drug addled thought process Din shook his head. And then he noticed the weight on his legs. Looking down, he realized there was a small person curled on his legs, face obscured by Din’s own helmet.

Kina.

Din cringed and quickly did a double-take, looking around his immediate vicinity in the room. Sure enough, three other chairs were clustered around his bedside, each occupied by a fellow Trainee. They all seemed to be asleep, Mera and Jahno resting their heads on each other on the left side of Din, and Paz with his head hanging low on his chest on his right side.

At first Din sat in shock that they had cared so much, before another emotion began to push its way through the fog in his head. Gratefulness? Appreciation?

...love?

Alarmed, Din shoved that thought out of his head as quickly as it had come. Where the actual kriff had _that_ thought come from?! He didn’t love them, he was just grateful and appreciative of the support, that’s all. Angrily shaking his head at himself, he glanced around them one more time before gently reaching out to poke Kina’s shoulder.

She grumbled and rolled over. Din couldn’t manage to suppress his grin on time, and paused for a moment in alarm. It had been a long time since he’d let that much emotion show on his face, and it made him _highly_ uncomfortable. He quickly schooled his expression, blaming it on whatever drugs he was being given to help with the pain.

Reaching out, he poked her again. Kina gave another groan, and swatted at his hand with an indignant “ _stoooooop_.”

Din knew more emotion than he was comfortable with was showing in his eyes, but there was nothing he could really do about that now. So instead, he responded.

“I thought you’d have been happier to see me.”

Kina shot up to a sitting position faster than Din thought was possible for the little seven year old, and stared at Din, his helmet wobbling on her head. Then she let out an unholy squeal he thought only tookas and tusk cats should be able to hear, ripping off the helmet and launching her little body at him.

Din cringed as he caught her and felt another burst of pain, letting out an audible oof sound. Then, he realized what was happening. He was being hugged. Him. Hugged. For a few confused moments, he sat awkwardly and waited for his drugged brain to catch up. Eventually he was able to comprehend what was going on, and it felt... strange. But he awkwardly hugged her back all the same. “Mm, careful there” He croaked out.

Kina didn’t stop hugging him, nor did she lift her face from where it was buried in his shoulder, but she did adjust her position to where she wouldn’t put any weight on his injury. She began rambling in Huttese, expressing all her worries that he’d never wake up again, just like her mother.

Din quietly murmured reassurances back at her, giving in to her want to speak in Huttese. After all, hearing a language spoken on her home planet probably comforted her more than a new, foreign language such as Mando’a would. And Basic was just to... impersonal.

Glancing up, Din saw the others staring at him in a mixture of sleepy relief, shock, and confusion. Relief because he was okay, shock that he was not only letting someone hug him, but hugging them back, and the confusion was probably at the language none of them understood. Din warily looked back at them, but continued murmuring Huttese to Kina.

After a few minutes, the young girl finally leaned back and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. 

“U eniki?”

Kina sniffled again, before looking up at Din with slightly teary eyes. “Tagwa.”

Din offered her up a small smile. “Mee’m eniki.” He was okay, he would be fine. There was no need for her to worry. There was no need for any of them to worry, as endearing as it was.

Kina gave a small smile and a nod in return, and Din glanced up to the rest of his friends.

“So... hi?”

Paz immediately jumped out of his seat, an indignant and slightly angry look on his face. “This is not something you just say ‘hi’ about! Do you even know how worried we all were? What were you thinking, going and getting yourself kriffing _stabbed_ like that, I thought you were _dead_ at first you di’kut!”

Mera, Jahno, and Kina jumped in surprise, but Din watched with mild amusement. This was something he’d finally figured out about Paz. If he couldn’t control something, he worried, and if he worried, he got angry. Anger was his coping mechanism, and as strange as it was to be yelled at for something he couldn’t possibly have helped, it was endearing in a strange way. Din felt like he had been using that particular word to describe his friends a lot recently, but it was true. 

Din patiently waited as he watched Paz yell, waving his arms around himself like a madman. As soon as that thought seeped it’s way through his head fog, Din felt himself grin. Whoops.

Alarm shooting through him, he quickly tried to school his facial expression once more, but could only manage to get it down to a small smile. Too late, the damage had been done.

  
******

  
Paz hadn’t been able to stop himself from yelling at Din. A whisper in the back of his mind told him he wasn’t being anywhere _near_ fair, but he couldn’t help it. He was just so _angry_. Angry at Goran, angry at himself for not noticing sooner, and for some reason, angry at Din for being stabbed in the first place.

Waving his arms around himself, he took out his frustration on the small boy calmly watching him from the bed. And then the younger of the two had the audacity to grin.

Not one of his small, rare smiles that Paz made it his mission to receive. No, this was a full-blown toothy _grin_. As quickly as it had come, the younger boy tried to wipe it off his face, but Paz felt his mind stutter to a halt. 

“You- you...” What was he yelling again?

He found himself unable to look away from the small smile that had replaced the brilliant grin, and felt any remaining anger seep away to be replaced by a quiet fondness for the boy. Kina timidly piped up from where she was sitting.

“Did- did you just...”

“I blame the drugs!” 

Before any of them could fully register Din’s words, he had snatched his helmet from the bed and shoved it over his head. Mera, Jahno, and Kina all visibly drooped at not being able to see the rare expressions on their friends face, and Paz knew he looked the same. But Din held fast, and didn’t remove the helmet.

Mera was the first to recover from their disappointment, giving Paz a quick glare that he suspected was because of his angered yelling spree, before glancing around at them all with a bright smile. “I think I speak for all of us when I say I’m so kriffing super-duper happy you’re okay, Din!”

Din tried to hide a snort of amusement in his helmet _(kriffing drugs!)_ while Jahno jabbed his sister in the side with his elbow. Mera squealed and swatted his arm away, earning a giggle from Kina and a short bark of laughter from Paz. _(No one mentioned the second giggle, slightly distorted by Mandalorian beskar.)_

Turning to face Din, Jahno offered up a small smile of his own. “I’m not sure I would have used quite the same wording as Mera, but I’m glad you’re okay as well.” Din nodded his head in response, as Kina _gently_ launched herself at Din again. Paz narrowed his eyes as the boy stiffened for a moment under her touch, but decided to dismiss it as his wound being jostled too much.

“Nah, I think Mera’s wording was perfect! I’m so kriffing super-duper happy you’re okay as well!”

Paz watched as Din gave a small laugh and patted the girl on the back, before tilting his helmet as if deep in thoughts. He couldn’t help but notice how much more animated Din was on drugs, as well as expressive. His heavily exaggerated movements and expressions (not that he could see them now, unfortunately) were sorta cute. As he watched, Din seemed to come to a conclusion about something and turned back to Kina.

“Should we be concerned that someone of your age is using words like that?”

Kina let go of Din and sat back on the bed, giving him an indignant look. “Why are you getting onto me about saying kriff? I’ve said it before, and Mera said it too. She’s only a year older than me!” She gave a small huff as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Besides, if I’m gonna be a Mando, I’ll need to get used to hearing and saying things a lot worse than _that_.”

Drugged Din (‘cause there was no way normal Din would be this... open) seemed to take her words to heart, nodding solemnly. “Yes, I ‘spose that makes sense. But if that’s the case, I guess we should teach you other words to look out for early on. First ther-”

“ _Ooooooo_ kay then, that’s enough of that.” Paz looked at Kina and gave a nervous laugh from where he was now standing, reaching over the bed and smothering Drugged Din with a pillow. He’d be fine, he had a helmet on after all. Slowly lifting the pillow, he waited a moment to be sure Din wasn’t going to say anything more on the subject. He decided to ignore the annoyed glare he was certain was burning holes in his head. Dang, for such a small girl Kina sure was a little scary at times. She probably was picking it up from Din.

Speaking of Din, said boy sat back up and readjusted his position, before glancing at the time.

“Woah, is it really that late? I guess you guys’ll be needing to head back to your clans, huh?”

Paz couldn’t be sure, but he almost thought Din’s voice seemed a little... wistful. Like he didn’t want them to leave. Paz almost dismissed the thought as something his mind made up, as there was no way Din would let his tone of voice give away how he felt. But then again, this was Drugged Din he was thinking about...

Before Paz could take the time to dwell on his random thoughts some more, Mera piped up from across the bed.

“Well, I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m certainly not leaving any time soon.” She looked around at the others, who all nodded in agreement, causing Drugged Din to perk up once more. Yes, it was definitely the meds making him act like this. There was no way Normal Din would do such a thing as _perk up_. Turning, Mera gave Din a brilliant grin of her own, making Paz wish Din had left his helmet off, in case he was grinning again. “Then let’s play.”

She pulled the board game Ni Ceta out from under her chair, and Din and Kina pulled their legs up to criss-cross positions to make room for the board on the bed. Everyone called what color ships they wanted, and Paz smiled as they began to play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any suggestions for a better way to write the translations, I am grateful for any input. I thought about putting translations in parenthesis whenever a word is used, but didn’t know if that’d take away from the story.
> 
> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> Di’kut - idiot
> 
> Beskar - Mandalorian iron
> 
> Huttese Translations:
> 
> U eneki?- You good?
> 
> Tagwa - Yes
> 
> Mee’m eneki - I’m good


	10. Truth?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din’s healing is well underway, but he is still confined to his cot in the Medbay. His friends are, of course, absolutely willing to stay and keep him company. But what if their constant presence, mixed with a still healing Din, causes some secrets to be revealed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well. Look what the Loth-Cat dragged in. A writer who had once more left their poor readers all alone to wonder what happens next because she is a kriffing di’kut who can’t just sit and write! Gah, sorry ‘bout that, school is crazy. So close to the end, but... I have a BUNCH of tests, projects, and homework, that I really should be doing or studying for rn, but I started to panic and read through some comments (‘cause y’all or so sweet!) to calm myself and couldn’t help but think, hey! Updates! I need to do those!
> 
> I still have a lot of school stuff, and S7 of TCW killed me, so I’ve not been able to think of anything except for that and therefore writing a bunch of random storylines that pop into my head because of it in hopes of healing my poor crushed soul. But I’ve come to a block on that, so hopefully, HOPEFULLY, that means I can finally concentrate on this again. Dunno when the next chapter will be out, but it’s started, so hopefully soonish?
> 
> Sorry again, and sorry for the rant. Enjoy!

A couple days later found a much more lucid Din, but also a much more bored one. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t leave the Med Bay yet. He was fine! Well, relatively fine. The wound where he’d been stabbed was still sore, but nothing the occasional bacta patch wouldn’t help with! With another annoyed huff at his predicament, Din glanced around the room again.

Mera and Jahno were back with their clan, presumably eating lunch. Kina, as she had yet to be adopted into a clan of her own, was curled up at the foot of Din’s bed fast asleep. Paz was sitting in the chair closest to Din’s bed, having convinced is buir to let him complete his work in the Med Bay in order to keep Din company.

Din, as much as he wanted to make a break for the door and race to his hidden alcove, resigned himself to leaning over and seeing what Paz was doing. Currently, it seemed he was completing a worksheet on basic anatomy of different species, and locating some of their weak points.

Din tilted his head and squinted a little, trying to make out the words on the page from his position. It seemed Paz was listing the main weak spots of the Togrutan species, and looked like he was a little stuck.

“Montrals.”

“What?” Paz glanced up at Din after hearing the younger speak. Din tilted his head a little and gestured to the page before responding.

“Montrals. That’s the one you’re missing. They’re highly sensitive and provide a means for echolocation as well as being able to hear like we do. Montrals are able to pick up higher frequency sounds as well, like a Loth-Cat or a Tooka. Really loud or high-pitched noises have the potential to incapacitate them.”

Paz stared at him for a second, before his face split into a grin with a laugh. “How do you just... _know_ these things? Seriously, man, that’s so weird! In a cool way.”

Din gazed calmly back for a few moments, before allowing a small smile to pass through the facade. “Actually, Mera brought me the work I’ve been missing out on yesterday when you were with your clan. I just did that worksheet a while ago.” As if to prove his point, he reached under his cot and brought out a stack of classwork. He slipped the piece of paper out of the stack and held it up in front of Paz.

With a huff, Paz glared at Din before his expression melted back into a smile. “Maybe so, but I’ll bet if you’re asked the same question a week from now you’d still know the answer by heart. You’re smart, Din.”

Din huffed back in response and rolled his eyes, but had to admit to himself that Paz was probably right. He took it upon himself to try and memorize every important bit of information he came across, spending hours in his hidden alcove reciting facts to himself. It really came in handy when they had a pop-quiz.

“Well, I do have a lot of free-time on my hands. What better way to use it then with studying?” He finally muttered back. Glancing up, he realized Paz was giving him a strange look. “What?”

Shaking his head, Paz began writing on his worksheet once more, refusing to look at Din. “Hm? Nothing. Just thinking.”

Din narrowed his eyes in response, but the older boy continued to feign ignorance. Finally, Din huffed and lay back on the cot. He was a little worried though; he could sense the wheels in Paz’s head turning. If it had been almost any other time, he probably would have cracked a joke about ‘how ecstatic he was to witness such a _rare_ occurrence!’ As it was, he felt there was something he was missing, something he had let slip.

  
*****

  
Something Din had said brought up a relatively recent memory for Paz, and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. He felt like there was something, the answer to some sort of mystery he didn’t even realize had existed until now, that was just out of his reach. A little uneasy, Paz pretended not to notice Din’s suspicious narrow-eyed look and allowed himself to get lost in his memory as he absentmindedly finished his worksheet:

_It was the day Din had been stabbed. After spending the remainder of his day with Mera, Jahno, and Kina in the Med Bay waiting for Din to wake up, he had had to return to his clan for dinner. Visiting Din had been a spur of the moment decision agreed upon by the friend group, and had changed from a few minutes to check up on him, to a couple hours of silent support, to a whole-day excursion to wait for Din to wake up. He needed to let his aliit know where he’d been, and he wanted to ask for permission to stay the night with Din. Mera and Jahno were doing the same, and had taken Kina with them in order to get some food into their youngest member._

_Walking through his aliit’s designated living area, he found his mother and her sister in their kitchen chopping up a meiloorun to go with tonight’s dinner of Gi Dumpling Soup. They had even made some Uj’alayi; normally the temptingly sweet, sticky cake would have Paz making increasingly ridiculous attempts to sneak past his buir and ba’vodu to snatch some, but not today. Now, he just looked at it with a sad sigh. He couldn’t help but wonder if Din had ever tried an uj cake._

_Upon noticing his entrance, the two older Mandalorians turned towards him. As soon as they saw his face, they turned towards each other and seemed to share a silent conversation before his mother began to lead him away, his aunt dutifully continuing their dinner preparations._

_Paz allowed himself to be swept into their living room, where he was promptly placed on the couch. By the looks of it, his two older cousins, uncle, siblings, and father had yet to return from whatever activities their day had consisted of. For now, he and his mother had the room to themselves._

_“What is bothering you, Adik?” His mother sat beside him, and brushed aside a strand of his black hair. Taking a deep breath, Paz looked up at her and willed his voice not to shake._

_“Din was stabbed. In training today.” Unable to keep the eye contact, Paz glanced back down at his lap. “He’s in the Med Bay right now, the medics say he’ll be fine but he hasn’t woken up yet.”_

_A moment of silence passed as his mother tensed before she hugged him to her, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Din? He’s the brown haired boy you brought to eat cake for your birthday, right?”_

_Paz nodded in response. His mother replied with a distant ‘hmm’, something she only did when she was deep in thought about something or other that caught her attention._

_“What?”_

_“Oh, nothing much. It’s just...” She paused for a moment, before seeming to switch tracks. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, what did you say Din’s clan name was again?”_

_Paz frowned in confusion as his mother gazed expectantly at him, her piercing gaze seeming to know a lot more then she was letting on._

_“I... I don’t think I did tell you” He spoke slowly, trying to gauge his mother’s reaction. Something was up, but what was it? “But it’s Djarin.”_

_Much to his disappointment and slight annoyance, he wasn’t able to read his mother’s expression following his statement. “Really, now?”_

_Paz nodded, barely catching her muttered “Interesting...”_

_“What is it?”_

_His buir glanced back at him, seeming to think for a moment before she smiled and patted his head. He gave a disgruntled huff as he reached up and swatted her hand away. Laughing, she stood and offered him a hand. “It’s nothing. And I’m sure your friend will be fine. If he is to be Mando’ade, he must be strong, yes?”_

_Paz gave his mother a sad smile, and nodded. She reached out and ruffled his hair like she had done when he was younger, and stood, holding out a hand with a smile of her own._

_“Now olaror, before your cousins and siblings get back. I’ll let you have a piece of uj cake.”_

_Paz grinned, setting his worry over Din aside for now. He reached out and let his buir lift him off the couch, and they headed back to the kitchen. Wanting to temporarily get his mind off of his worry for his friend, he decided to ask his mother about her own day._

_“So, what did you get up to today?”_

_Cutting a slice of Uj’alayi, she handed him a plate as she gave him a seemingly feral grin. “Well, you’ll be happy to hear I kicked your father’s shebs in a sparring match...”_

Paz felt himself frown as he thought back to the conversation between he and his mother. Slowly, something seemed to be coming together in his mind. More snips of memory flitted through his mind as he slowly turned to look at Din, who was currently slightly curled up with his back facing Paz, reading a book on Mandalorian culture.

_Din, who had paused for far too long and stuttered an awkward response when Paz asked if he had celebrated his birthday with his aliit._

_Din, always seeming to go the opposite direction as everyone else when returning to their clans after training._

_Din, who never seemed to speak of his life outside of being a Mandalorian Trainee._

_Din, who had never had cake, even though it’s how all Mandos celebrated birthdays._

_Din, who had somehow piqued the interest of Paz’s mother, just with the mention of his last name._

_Din, who’s last name was not recognized as a clan by anyone Paz had spoken with about it._

Paz wasn’t able to stifle his sharp intake of air in time, and Din rolled over to look at him. While his face was his usual mask of indifference, his expressive eyes were quizzical. “You okay?”

Paz barely stopped himself from looking away. He shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed of his reaction. He wasn’t the one who had explaining to do. _Din_ was.

  
*****

  
Back in the Forge, the Apprentice sat in a meditative pose with her back to the door. In the silence, she could easily pick out the soft footsteps of a Mandalorian trained in the ways of he Mandalorian Stealth Corps. A lesser being wouldn’t even be able to differentiate the footsteps making their way steadily closer from the quiet shuffle of distant armored boots of the others in the tribe. Not only could the Apprentice make out the steps, but she knew exactly who it was.

Jai Vizla, wife of Pomik Vizla and mother of Paz Vizla.

“I would like to speak with the Armorer.”

The Apprentice didn’t move from her relaxed position, as she calmly responded. “I’m afraid he is not available at this time. However, I must say I was expecting your visit. This is about the Trainee Din Djarin, is it not?”

She could almost see the woman behind her pause at the question, though she still hadn’t turned around. After another moment of hesitation, Jai responded. “Yes, it is.”

“Then perhaps I may be of some assistance?” 

Wordlessly, Jai Vizla walked around the Apprentice and sat facing her. After giving the woman a few moments to situate herself, she spoke.

“Now what would you like to speak of first?”

Jai took a moment to think before seeming to come to a decision. “I would like to hear more details about the boy’s condition. It is... _uncommon_ for someone to be so injured during training, at least when they are that young. Was there some sort of accident?”

“I’m afraid not. Another Trainee by the name of Goran Fal made a deliberate attempt to harm young Djarin.”

Jai seemed to freeze for a few moments before she snapped back to the present. The Apprentice knew she was understandably shocked. It was nearly unheard of for a Mandalorian to deliberately harm another of their tribe through training, at least for such a young age. Any respectable Mandalorian who had a quarrel with another would offer to work it out in a sparring match; yes, sometimes weapons were used. However, this was agreed upon before hand by both opponents, and neither sought to kill.

“Why? Why would a Mandalorian, especially a Trainee, ever do such a thing?” There was horror and disgust evident in her voice, but Jai hid it well. The Apprentice appreciated the attempt at keeping a calm facade, but very little slipped past her unnoticed. It was a good attempt, but in vain.

“It is to my understanding that they had had a few past mishaps, and the boy sought to get even with Djarin. Although, as we both know, it was no way to go about such an ordeal.” 

“What could Din have possibly done to invoke such a thing? Did he start something he could not finish with the boy?” Jai’s voice rose a little as she spoke, still seeming appalled at the prospect of what had happened.

“I can not know for certain what has happened between the two, but from what Paz has told me, it is Goran who instigated the altercation when he physically and verbally struck a young Foundling. I feel inclined to believe him.” The Apprentice gazed calmly back at the woman, who had stilled at the mention of her son. After a few moments, she relaxed once more and continued her interrogation.

“If Paz says that is what happened, then I believe him. What has become of the Fal boy, Goran? Has he received any sort of punishment for his actions?” 

“He was brought before myself and the Armorer, and has been dealt with accordingly.”

“And that is?”

The Apprentice took a moment to collect her thoughts, wondering how much she should indulge to the other. She saw no harm in telling the other Mando of the events surrounding the Fal boy, and needed to have the woman focused on the present if her plans were to succeed. Jai wouldn’t be able to do that if she were still wound up about Goran.

“Din managed to knock the boy out before he collapsed himself. Goran was still unconscious when he was brought to the attention of myself and the Armorer. When he awoke, we questioned him and he owned up to his actions. As of now, he has been temporarily stripped of his Trainee title and sent to another tribe who has a Corps specialized in mental health. We are awaiting further information on his condition before we take anymore actions against the boy.”

Jai took a moment of silent contemplation before giving a nod of assent. The Apprentice waited patiently for her to speak. When the other Mandalorian did not, she decided she better guide the woman in the direction she needed the conversation to go.

“I believe there is more you wished to speak of regarding the Djarin boy, is there not?”

Jai slightly jolted where she was sitting, as though she had been lost in thought. “Oh, yes, there is.” She paused for a moment, and when she next spoke there was and underlying tone in her voice that told the Apprentice the other Mandalorian knew exactly what the outcome of her question would be. “I was wondering if you had a way for me to get in touch with the boy’s clan? After all, if our sons are to be such close friends, it’s only fitting...”

The Apprentice nearly smiled beneath her helmet as Jai trailed off. “So you know then.”

Jai looked directly back at the Apprentice, who could practically see the quizzical expression beneath the blue helm. “Know?”

“About the Foundling’s situation regarding a clan. How he has none.”

Jai’s shoulders slumped, although the Apprentice doubted anyone other then her or the Armorer would have noticed. “Known, no, but I had suspected. I hoped I was wrong. Might I ask why? Was no one willing to take the poor boy in?”

“I can assure you, that is not the case. As a matter of fact, it is of the boy’s own doing that he does not belong to any clan. He managed to fool the whole tribe into believing he had a place, when in fact he had none. I believe he may make a fine addition to the Stealth Corps when the time comes.”

“Why would a child do that? How could one so young not want a family?” Jai’s voice was distant and saddened, and the Apprentice knew she was thinking of her own son.

“The boy’s whole village, his family, was slaughtered before his very eyes by imperial droids. It seemed he did not wish to have the chance to lose anyone else. He was scared to have a clan of his own, but it seems your son and a few others have managed to fill that gap for him. Thy are all close, as you know.”

Jai was silent for a while, but when she did finally speak the Apprentice could hear the tears in her voice. “The poor child. The things the Foundlings must suffer through...” When she next spoke, her voice was filled with a renewed determination. “You can be sure clan Vizla will be looking out for the boy. He may not have a designated clan, but that won’t stop him from having an _aliit_. No child must go through life without knowing they have support from an adult.”

The Apprentice watched as the Mandalorian woman stood and left the room, an air of obstinacy about her. She was renowned throughout the tribe as a highly capable and competent mother-figure (Paz was the youngest of three), and would in no way leave Din to fend for himself. 

This time, the Apprentice did allow herself to smile. She was in no way finished with her work, but she had gotten the ball rolling. Din was in good hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, also, I’m experimenting with the Armorer/Apprentice being slightly Force-sensitive? Like, not enough to, y’know, do telekinesis type stuff. Just like, enough for a really good sense of ‘intuition’ that allows them to really understand their tribe and pick their successors and whatnot. They wouldn’t know that’s what it is of course. Just something I’m toying with, but I figured I’d check with y’all and see what you thought? If I do use it, it won’t be some big storyline changing scenario, just a fun little tidbit here and there as explanation for how the Apprentice just seems to know things.
> 
> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> Buir - parent
> 
> Aliit - Clan/family
> 
> Ba’vodu - aunt
> 
> Adik - child
> 
> Olaror - come
> 
> Shebs - backside, rear, butt


	11. Truth Comes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Paz doesn’t understand has a habit of leading him to anger. This is almost what Paz expected from himself with Din. But sometimes, looking at things in a new light can lead to understanding.
> 
> (Oof, awful summary, I know)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I think I’m going to try out a new system for myself for updates. Once I have a chapter written and start on the next one, I’ll decide when to post. If I have a good, concrete plan for where the chapter after is heading, if I finish it quickly, or if the writing is running smoothly, then I’ll post. If the chapter after is proving more difficult to write, and I’m struggling for ideas, I’ll wait until both are finished before posting the first. This way I can always go back and change things if need be when a chapter isn’t quite working out.
> 
> Idk if that made any sense, but hopefully it will work out and you lovely people will get more chapters to read! I hope you enjoy!

Paz met Din’s quizzical chocolatey gaze with his own steely blue stare. Although on the outside he was sure to only show a calm facade, on the inside he was freaking out. He wondered if it was always this hard for Din.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he shoved it back out again. This was not time to- to _pity_ Din. His constant fight to stay indifferent was his own doing, and his own problem. If he didn’t want to deal with it, he could just be flat-out _honest_ with the other Trainees like everyone else was! 

Paz slowly inhaled, held his breath a few counts, and let it out again. Din had a strange look on his face as he watched Paz, almost like... concern maybe? Watching Paz’s inner struggle from the outside was probably weird for him. Paz knew he should say something, but he also knew he had to get himself under control before he spoke, or else he’s unfairly blow up at Din. He knew he shouldn’t be angry, but... he just didn’t understand! If his suspicions were correct, why would Din lie to him? Did he not think Paz was trustworthy? Was Paz’s friendship meaningless to him? What about the others? He wasn’t just them all, was he?

With another deep breath, Paz tried to calm his anger before he spoke. “Din, if I ask you something, will you be completely honest with me? As in no lies, no half-truths, no _technicalities_ , just-” Paz stopped for a moment, looking for the right wording. Din had visibly stiffened and looking in his eyes he seemed almost scared. Paz was worried what it might mean. He almost felt bad for bringing the subject up, but he felt like he _had_ to know. “Just be honest with me. Please?”

Paz realized he had lowered his head while he spoke, and raised his eyes to meet Din’s. Although his face was lax and calm, the mask seemed to have completely slipped when it came to Din’s eyes. Paz’s own eyes widened as he realized just how open Din seemed in this moment. Not even when he was doped up on pain meds did Din ever seem this... 

This emotionally vulnerable.

Paz held his breath for a moment, hoping, praying, that Din would agree. That Din would be honest. That he wasn’t just using them, that the friendship he’d thought they’d formed was truly there. Because he didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t.

Only when Din stiffly but silently gave a single affirmative nod did Paz let himself breathe again. Paz made sure to look Din in the eyes, silently daring him to break his promise. To not tell the truth. _To lie to him._

“Din.” He paused for a moment, uncertainty rushing back, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep going. Din brought this upon himself the moment he lied to Paz. “Do you have a clan?”

Any signs of life in Din seemed to drain out in that moment. He sat rigidly on the cot, eyes wide, still as a statue. After a moment, Paz realized he had stopped breathing as well, completely still, completely silent. It carried on for several long, uncertain moments, and just when Paz was about to get concerned about Din’s oxygen intake (or lack thereof) the boy took a small breath. Then another. Then another.

But with his life-giving breaths came something else, something Paz never thought he’d see.

Numerous emotions rushed across the younger boy’s face, not just his eyes, but the entirety of his expression. Paz startled, and struggled to read them all...

Pain, fear, horror, panic, dismay, shock, the list went on until something like resignation crossed his tan features, and then...

Calm. 

Complete, stony-faced calm like he’d always seen, like what had been on Din’s face ever since the first time Paz had seen him as a brand new Foundling. And with it, came his detached sounding answer-

“No.”

No? So all this time, he hadn’t had a family, an aliit, and he’d _lied_ to Paz about it? Paz wanted to be mad, to be angry with Din for the deceit, but....

But the emotions he’d seen warring across the younger’s face... they could be some sort of trick, more deceit to soften the blow of being found out. But Paz couldn’t convince himself of that. It was way too real, and didn’t match up with anything he knew (or thought he knew) of Din. Instead, it was opening up a question in the back of his mind, a small voice making him recall a previous thought. 

The calmness that had overcome Din after it all, such a stark contrast to the previous emotion, had been all Paz had seen from Din. He’d thought it was just indifference, Din’s way of staying aloof, but now the voice whispered that it was more than that. It was a mask, quickly but intricately formed to hide the horrors underneath, formed by a boy who’d seen to much. A boy who’d lost everything. A _Foundling_.

And suddenly Paz thought he understood. 

Din was a Foundling, meaning he was taken in by the Mandalorians. Because he had no family. Previously, Paz had thought the Mandalorians were doing so much _good_ , bringing in orphaned children and giving them homes, Clans, _families_.

And he still did.

But what if to some Foundlings, to children like Din, it was more complicated? Paz had grown up spending his whole life with his tribe and aliit. His family was his clan, his clan was his family, and they always stood by each other, taught each other, helped each other. He didn’t know what he’d do without them.

So how would he feel if he was suddenly torn away from them, if he lost them? If other people found him, took him in, gave him a family. Yes, what the Mandalorians did was _good_ , he still believed that. But it couldn’t be easy for the kids who went through that. For the boys and girls who lost _everything_ to suddenly have a completely different family and lifestyle.

Of course, Mera and Jahno seemed to have adapted to the new lifestyle just fine, as have the other Foundlings Paz has seen. But every Foundling’s story was different, so what had Din gone through to cause him such pain? To make what was an eight year old boy design such an abstruse facade to hide behind?

Paz was startled and surprised by his sudden bout of apperception, but pleased all the same. This was probably the first time he had taken the time to sit back and think things through, rather than let his lack of understanding lead him to unwarranted anger against a person.

All the same, he looked up at Din in a new light. The other boy was blankly staring down at his feet, which were hanging off the side of the cot, not quite touching the floor. Paz stood and stepped towards the boy, growing slightly concerned when his movement didn’t elicit any actions from the boy.

He slowly, carefully, reached a hand out and placed it on Din’s shoulder. 

The reaction was immediate, his body stiffening, eyes widening, head snapping up to meet his attacker...

But chocolatey eyes met blue, and Din relaxed the slightest bit. Something in Paz gloated a bit at that, that he was probably one of the few people who Din would tolerate touch from, even relax (if only slightly) whilst being touched by him (and yes, he realized that was concerning, but it didn’t really take his top priority at the moment). 

Paz was sure to gaze steadily back, trying to portray his calmness to the younger. He spoke gently, but sternly, hoping the other boy would understand. “Din. It’s _okay_.”

Din seemed a little surprised, as was Paz when for a moment- just a moment, nothing more -Din let his mask once again fall off completely. There was no falsities, no hidden meanings, no secrets to hide.

Just plain, immeasurable gratitude for the understanding. And it was purposeful.

“Vor entye.”

Paz smiled back, and then the mask was back in place, just as secure as before, but seeming slightly more open. Paz wondered if this meant he was going to be less guarded around their small group of friends more often. He certainly hoped so. But he’d respect Din’s wishes, and let the other boy go at his own pace.

Who knows?

Maybe one day Paz and the others could be considered his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there are any little ideas you have that you think would be cute for this story before they grow up, I would be delighted to hear them! I’m currently working toward a suggestion from sunny_impalas about meeting Paz’s clan. There are certain things I won’t write, but I’m always up for cute fluff!
> 
> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> Aliit - family/clan


	12. Truth Hurts (but hurt can heal)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon uncovering the truth behind Din’s lies, Paz came to a strange understanding of his elusive friend’s predicament. But how is Din coping with the discovery? How does he feel about this new and unpredictable situation?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my kriff, I am so sorry! I thought I posted this forever ago! Sorry! Next chapter might be awhile, I’m struggling to make words make sense. I hope you enjoy this though!

“Din. Do you have a clan?”

Din knew it was coming. He knew it was inevitable from the first moment he allowed Paz to falsely believe he had an aliit. And he knew what this conversation was about from the moment Paz asked for the complete and utter truth.

Yet it still somehow managed to catch him off guard when that accusatory tone asked the one question he wasn’t sure he could answer. _Do you have a clan?_

Yes? But no. But no not a real one, but yes because of you? Yes because of Mera, Jahno, Kina and you, but no because of typical culture? No because he’d refused one, hidden himself, but yes because your small group found him anyway?

What was the correct answer? He didn’t really know anymore. Had it been before his conversation with the Apprentice, before he was stabbed and watched over by his small group, he would have most definitely said no. But now... now he was inclined to say yes, but would that make sense to Paz, or would it make it worse? Did Paz even think of him as close enough to be family? He had his own after all, so he already knew what family felt like. Din no longer was sure. Not after so long without one. Not after preventing himself from having a new one.

And why had he done that? Because it’s safer, it hurts less, you can’t live, love, and laugh with people just to have them ripped away. Din had his reasons, he wouldn’t, _couldn’t_ have a family...

And then he was back. 

He felt the pain as a sudden explosion rocked the ground in the market, shrapnel tearing into his skin even though his parents did their best to shield him with their own bodies. 

He felt fear as he was scooped off the ground, his father gathering him in his arms and running with his mother close behind, desperately trying to get him to _look at her, nowhere else, just her._

He felt horror as he saw droids, not small and sweet like the run-down little astromech his parents had spent so long saving up for, but tall and shiny, raising their arms and... and shooting down the townspeople one by one. Shrieks filed the air as more explosions rocked buildings, fire and smoke leaping into the sky around them. He saw villagers, people he’d known his whole life, silenced by a streak of a blaster bolt. Their screams abruptly cutting out as they fell silently to the ground. As strange, droid like ships swooped from above, dive-bombing market stalls and civilian homes alike, sending places he’d visited just mere minutes before in up in flames.

He felt an overwhelming panic as his parents quickly hugged and kissed him goodbye, lowering him into a small root cellar and closing the doors, shutting out the light. He desperately wanted them to stay, they could all fit, but deep down he knew why they left. There was no way they hadn’t been seen coming here, and so his parents were going to lead the droids away. So there was darkness- and then there was a sudden flash as an explosion ripped through the area nearby.

He felt dismay as the realization settled over him. He knew they were gone, he could feel it in his heart. He didn’t know what to do, and the doors opened once more, the small sliver of light between slats expanding, opening up- and a droid was there, one of the bulky shiny ones, watching him through a blood-red sensor as light glinted off its metal body, raising an arm to him as he had seen others do to his parents’ friends, just before they fell lifelessly to the ground...

He felt shock as the droid was destroyed, looking up to see armored people dropping from the sky. One of these armored people appeared before him, briefly glancing at something on the ground nearby before steadily offering him a hand. Din took it, and was pulled out of the cellar. The person lifted him into his own arms, and at a signal from one of his fellow armored soldiers he lifted into the air. As they drew further away from the land below, from the armored people who were destroying the droids, Din saw what his savior had seen before offering him a hand. Bright red robes, a match to his own, strewn on the ground mere meters from the cellar. And with them, the torn mangled bodies of his parents. He was too shocked, to numb to further comprehend the sight, which was probably a blessing.

But the memory came back later, later as he sat with other children in a dimly lit room. Later as those children began to be taken away, being told their ‘families have been located’. Later, as he dimly realized he wouldn’t have a family to locate. He was alone. He was homeless. And for a moment, it hurt. It hurt, like nothing had ever hurt before, not even the gashes in his skin caused by shrapnel in the original blast. 

And from that hurt stemmed a new feeling, an all-encompassing calm that took over his body, allowing him some reprieve from the hurt he had felt. Yes, he had lost it all. But he wouldn’t ever again. Because you can’t lose something if you never have it.

And then his senses were back, he was no longer in the dimly lit room on his home planet, but in the too-bright Medbay. And he had been asked a question. _Do you have a clan?_ Din looked into the eyes of the boy he’d felt the possibility of considering family, and thought to the other Trainees who had earned the same consideration. He thought about the lies he’d given, the deceit he’d so readily dished out to those people. He looked into those bright blue eyes, and gave his answer.

“No.”

Because it wasn’t possible. Yes, he had begun to open up. But he didn’t deserve them, even if he was able to let go of his ‘no attachment’ mentality. Because family was built on trust, and they wouldn’t trust him. Not after all the lies.

Din numbly looked down at his feet, mind racing over all the half-truths and technicalities he’d dealt them in the past.

And then something touched his shoulder, and his eyes shot up because _touchattackdangerfightback_. But once again he only saw bright blue eyes, staring into his own. And this time there was something more, some sort of underlying feeling- determination? Certainty? Understanding?

Whatever it was, it calmed Din, just the slightest bit. And he felt himself relax the tiniest bit under the touch. It almost worried him, but this was _Paz_. If Paz were going to hurt him, he’d have done it by now. The stars know he’s had plenty of optimal opportunities (and Din suppressed a wince at that thought, he’s been so weak, so vulnerable lately).

“Din. It’s _okay_.”

And that was surprising. Okay? What was okay, his lies? His deceit? Because it did not seem like Paz to brush something such as that off. No, where was the anger? The yelling? No, he wasn’t a fan of it, but it was distinctly _Paz_. It was just what he did when he didn’t understand things, his coping mechanism was _anger_ , not this calm forgiveness. 

So does that mean... does he understand? Looking into his eyes, Din thought so. Or at least, he thought the other boy seemed to have a vague understanding of his situation. Of what the reasoning behind his actions was.

And he was willing to forgive. To move forward from it. And Din felt relief.

Not only was Paz forgiving him, and willing to stay friends, but Din came to another realization as well. Paz, Mera, Kina, Jahno... they were all _Mandalorians_. Well, Mandalorian Trainees, but still. The concept was still there, and by the time they were old enough to get into danger they’d all be well trained in the art of combat. They could protect themselves.

They wouldn’t be abruptly ripped away. He had a chance, a chance at a new family, who wanted him for _him_ and not out of pity.

He still refused to have an actual clan. No, he didn’t think he’d _ever_ be ready for that. But these other kids, these fellow Trainees, there was a chance, a possibility, the slightest potential that he could open a fraction of the way up to them.

For a brief, daring moment, Din allowed his facade to fall. He let the calmness drain away, let his true emotions show. Paz was openly forgiving him, and he deserved to see Din’s gratitude. So Din allowed his gratefulness to shine through for a moment.

“Vor entye.”

Paz smiled back, and Din had the calmness return. He wasn’t going to make this a habit. His mask was too carefully crafted to allow it to crack from frequent disuse. But in this moment, he’d decided to let himself show. Paz deserved that much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a quick side note (well, I guess end note), if you ever feel an unnaturally long time has passed between updates, don’t hesitate to call me out in the comments! As much as I hate it, I’m a forgetful person on occasion and I have forgotten to post before. Several people have politely yelled at me in the comments as a reminder (thanks btw). It is very helpful, and even if I don’t have another chapter ready, it’s always good motivation!
> 
> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> Aliit - clan/family


	13. Viszla Family Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and friends get to meet some of Paz’s aliit over a homemade meal. Din is released from the med bay (finally) and reboots Paz’s thoughts on life with his unexpected (but really should have been expected) mischievous tendencies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all, no worries, I’m still here. I’m incredibly sorry to have done this to you all- I never expected this story to get so many readers, and it’s super unfair of me to leave you hanging. However, due to personal problems and a lot of stressors, I have been, and probably will continue to be, unable to post. I am determined to finish this story, and still write when I can, but there’s way too much going on for me and I need to focus on school and my own wellbeing for now. Thank you so much for the kind comments, they honestly are so sweet and I love them so much. I don’t think I have ever gotten a negative comment (knock on wood) from you all, and that thought always gives me much needed appreciation for people and motivation to write. 
> 
> Special thanks to BABY_YODA_LOVER and Lisa_Smithers for their overwhelming concern and support and for giving me the courage boost to post a chapter and an update. Everything is well, I’m perfectly fine, just very stressed and unable to focus on the story atm. I put two pre-written chapters together just for you, thank you again! <3

It had been another week, and Din was officially allowed to leave the Medbay. For certain amounts of time. Under supervision.

So basically he was still prisoner to the Medical Mandos.

But hey, he was leaving it for a bit today! But as much as Din wanted, _needed_ a change of scenery from the bleak, bright room, his nerves were really freaking him out. Because the only reason he was leaving was to eat dinner at Paz’s place. Because Paz’s mother had insisted. 

On the bright side, Kina, Mera, and Jahno would be there as well. Paz’s Uncle and Father were supposedly out on assignment, as were his older cousins, and his siblings had some late classes followed up by free time sparring with friends. Paz’s mother and Aunt had just returned from a small assignment of their own, and insisted it was about time they met Paz’s friends for real.

So Jai and Khil Vizsla were currently cooking dinner for him and his fa- friends, and he had no clue how he was supposed to feel. Other then nervous, he was definitely nervous.

Paz himself was with his aliit, helping cook the dinner. Mera and Jahno were both spending time with their own clan before heading over to the Vizsla household. Kina was crouched on the edge of Din’s bed, freaking out on the outside just as much as Din was on the inside.

“Din. Din. Diiiiiiiin. Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin.”

“Yes Kina, I can hear just fine y’know.”

“Just checking.”

Din rolled his eyes as they lapsed into silence once more, and continued with finishing up his essay. Kina had brought him some homework that Paz had passed onto her before heading home, and had delivered it to Din when she first came to the Medbay a little over an hour before. 

He was just about done, but it was just about time to head out as well.

“Din?”

Din glanced up, sure to hide his small smile before doing so. Was this what having siblings was like? 

“Yes, Kina?”

“Can you do my hair?”

Well, he hadn’t been expecting that. But it was still better then the random seemingly pointless interruptions he’d been receiving previously.

“Ah, sure? No promises on how it’ll look though...” Din set his paper aside for later. He was just about done anyway, and he’d need _something_ to do when he got back. 

He sat a little uncertainly, because let’s be honest. He really has very little experience with hair, especially recently. The last time he’d done someone’s hair was... well, the first time he’d done Kina’s hair. And the time before that was back when he was with his mother. 

However, all his uncertainty melted away as Kina gave him a bright grin, crawling over and plopping down with her back to him. 

Despite his previous misgivings on his ability to do hair, Din quickly braided the light brown locks into the waterfall style his mother had loved so much. He smiled a little to himself as he leaned back to inspect his work. It wasn’t great, he’d admit, but it wasn’t half bad either. It would do.

“Ya done yet ori’vod?”

Din rolled his eyes, and gently tugged the end of the braid. “Yes vod’ika. You ready to head out?”

Kina turned to face Din, and wrinkled her nose a little at the prospect. “Ready to go meet Paz’s mother and Aunt, two well-known and respected members of the one and only Clan Vizsla? Absolutely not.”

Din swiftly slid off the bed, landing nimbly on his feet and ignoring the small twinge he felt in his side. Holding his hand out, he pulled Kina down next to him. “Great, let’s go.”

Din headed towards the entrance, only to be stopped by Kina’s voice from behind him.

“Noooot so fast ori’vod. Forgetting something?”

He turned to see the small girl giving him a playful glare, arms crossed over her chest. She hadn’t moved from her spot by the bed.

“You’re supposed to get a checkup from one of the medics before you leave. Those were one of the rules they gave you about leaving the Med Bay, remember?”

Din nearly scowled before remembering his lack of helmet. Dang, that’s gonna be annoying. “Yeah, well, I think I have just forgotten. Let’s go.”

Kina gave him an unimpressed look. They both knew he hadn’t forgotten. “And I think I just reminded you.”

“I won’t tell if you won’t.”

A few more moments of silence passed between the two before Kina lost her outward composure and cracked a smile. She walked over to Din and quickly stuck her tongue out before strolling past and out the door. “Whatever.”

When Din and Kina arrived at the Vizsla’s designated Living Quarters they found Mera, Jahno, and Paz already there. They were both received with bright grins and cheerful waves, although Din noticed the gazes of his three friends lingering on him.

“What?”

They sheepishly shrugged before Mera responded for all of them. “It’s just.... y’know. Strange to see you walking around without armor.” She gave another half-hearted shrug.

Din was, in fact, without armor. He was wearing the typical light brown tunic over flexible pants that all the Trainees were accustomed to. He felt strangely vulnerable, and he hated it.

Giving a huff, he allowed the faintest hint of a scowl to flutter across his face. “Yeah. Medic Mandos won’t let me wear it still. Something stupid about it jostling my wound to much.”

Kina giggled at Din’s mildly annoyed tone while Mera and Jahno shared identical smiles. Paz, the kriffing di’kut, had the audacity to straight up _grin_. Din allowed himself to aim a real scowl at the other boy, but only earned a delighted laugh in return.

“C’mon,” Paz waves an arm and gestured for the group to follow him to a table, stifling his laughter. “Let’s get ready to eat. My buir made some Roasted Shatual and Uj’alayi for us!”

Din looked on in masked (though not literally, kriffing medics) curiosity as the others (minus Kina) celebrated, obviously eager for the upcoming meal. Paz turned and aimed yet another grin at Din as they reached the table.

“Just wait, you’ll love uj cake!”

Din slightly rose his eyebrows as Mera and Jahno cheered in agreement. Well, he supposed he could trust their judgement. After all, they had introduced him to chocolate cake. _That_ was something he totally wanted to eat again.

Din chose a spot at the table on one side of Paz, Jahno occupying the spot on the other. Mera and Kina sat across from them. Din leaned slightly backwards in his chair and took a deep breath of air. The delicious aroma of Roasted Shatual filled his nose as he calmly listened to his bantering friends. This was _much_ better then the Med Bay.

  
******

  
Jai Viszla carefully arranged the sliced Shatual on a platter, surrounding it with various nutritious fruits and vegetables that she had managed to get her own children to eat over the years. Her sister leaned on the counter beside her, and amused smile gracing her features. 

“Oo, watch it, I think you positioned that jogan wrong. It’s leaning slightly to the left.”

Jai glared at her sibling, but subtly tilted the fruit to the right. Of course, it didn’t go unnoticed. Khil cackled at her sister, who merely scowled in response.

“Seriously, what’s up with you? I don’t think you take this much care while feeding our own children.”

Jai huffed, crossing her arms and looking at the platter with a scrutinizing gaze. “It needs to look appetizing. I’m merely making a good impression on my son’s friends. Do you have a problem with that?” 

She leveled the older with a challenging glare, but Khil just snorted in amusement. “Oh, yes, whatever you say. But seriously, what is up?”

Jai sighed, glancing toward the kitchen door. “One of the boys, Din Djarin-”

“Djarin? There _is_ no clan Djarin.” Khil gave her sister a slightly concerned glance, as if wondering whether she was sick.

Jai rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Yes, that is my point. He is a Foundling, clanless. Who knows when his last home cooked meal was? The Mess Hall food just isn’t the same.”

Khil’s eyes had widened at the mention of a clanless Foundling, but Jai quickly cut her off before she could question it. 

“Basically his whole village and his family were killed in front of him, he was understandably traumatized, and avoided getting a new clan.”

Khil rose her eyebrows, blinking in mild surprise. “And he kept that from the tribe? Dang. He’d make a good Stealth Mando.”

Jai sighed, but a small smile graced her lips. “Yes, that is what the Apprentice said as well. Shall we?”

She gestured towards the food, and Khil rolled her eyes before responding with a smile. “We shall.”

The two slid their helmets over their heads before grabbing the food and heading out. 

Jai’s eyes quickly scanned the group of ade before her as they headed towards the table. Three details caught her immediate attention. One was the new presence at the table. Presumably the ‘Kina’ her son had told her about. Two was Djarin’s distinct lack of armor. Although she had only seen him once before, she had garnered the assumption that he rarely went without it. Three was the subtle bulge of the dark haired boy’s tunic. Bandages from his stab wound.

She felt a small flare of anger at the thought, but it was slightly covered by a twinge of satisfaction as she thought of some of the Apprentice’s words over a week before.

_‘Din managed to knock the boy out before he collapsed himself. Goran was still unconscious when he was brought to the attention of myself and the Armorer.’_

It must have been one heck of a knockout. Good, she hoped it hurt. Din was strong, there was no doubt about that. And it seemed he had done it all to protect a fellow Foundling. Strong and honorable. 

Her son picked good friends. 

Jai placed the carefully arranged platter on the table as Khil filled everyone’s glasses with meiloorun juice. Feeling eyes one her, she casually turned towards the Djarin boy as she stood back, ruffling Paz’s hair as she did so.

She ignored the indignant squawk she received in response, opting instead to gaze steadily back at Djarin’s watchful eyes. He seemed to be analyzing her, and she was determined to come across as a steadfast adult figure he could talk to. The kid needed some sort of adult guidance (although something told her the Apprentice was subtly filling that role already).

After a few brief moments, he seemed to come to his decision. He turned away with a small nod, though Jai noticed his shoulders relax the slightest bit. She grinned in satisfaction beneath her helmet, and gave Paz’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. 

Jai gave a small nod to her son as he briefly grinned up at her, before turning to watch Din once more. He was now watching Khil, and she had to admit she was curious of his reaction. Her sister was a bit of a handful at the best of times.

As Jai and Din watched, Khil leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, an air of nonchalance about her. Even with the helmet Jai could practically see her smirk, and she suspected the others in the room could as well. 

“Well kids, you enjoy your little meal. We’ll be hanging out in the kitchen and eating the leftovers of this lovely meal.” Grabbing a sixth cup of juice from the table and producing a brightly colored straw from seemingly nowhere, Khil proceeded to stick it up her helmet and take a sip of the sweet drink.

Mentally face palming, Jai stole a glance at Din in time to see a small smile worm its way into the boy’s face, eyes gleaming. Well, maybe her sister’s weird antics were good for something after all.

And maybe she was a little jealous that she didn’t get a smile too, but whatever.

Jai turned back towards her own son, ruffling his hair once more before speaking. “We’ll be eating in the kitchen. We’ll come out and have a more... _civil_ introduction-” Khil merely shrugged at her accusatory glare, continuing to sip her drink. “After everyone is finished.”

A chorus of ‘alright’s and ‘thank you’s rang out around the table as Jai and Khil made their way back to the kitchen. Jai smiled beneath her helmet. They all certainly had good manners. Another point in favor of Paz’s friends.

  
**********

  
Too say Jai and Khil Vizsla’s cooking was amazing was an understatement. Paz had to stop him from filling himself up too much by reminding him of this ‘uj cake’ he absolutely had to try. 

Soon after everyone had finished eating, Khil and Jai returned from the kitchen. They each had several plates of what looked like some sort of cake, causing Paz, Mera, and Jahno to cheer. Must be the uj’alayi. 

They were all guided to the living room, taking seats on the rather comfortable couches. The plates of uj cake was passed out, and the children all eagerly dug in while the older Viszla’s chose some armchairs to sit in. Din could admit, the cake was delicious. 

After they were settled, Jai broke the silence. “As you may all know, I am Jai Viszla, Paz’s buir.”

“And I’m Khil, his ba’vodu. Care to introduce yourselves?”

Mera, having already finished her uj cake, spoke up first. “I’m Mera Echoy, and this is my twin brother Jahno.” She nudged Jahno, who gave a small wave and a sheepish smile as he continued eating. 

Kina grinned from her position between Mera and Din, giving the two Viszla’s a happy wave. All of her past uncertainty of meeting the well-known tribe members seemed to be forgotten. “I’m Kina! I don’t have a clan yet, but my ori’vod does a good job at taking care of me!” 

With a playful grin, she sharply jabbed Din in the side with her elbow, obviously taking advantage of his lack of armor. Din swatted her hand away with a slightly indignant “Watch it, I’m wounded.”

Kina gave him an unimpressed look, stating “I know which side is wounded, and it’s not this one. You’re fine.”

Din sighed, knowing any further arguments of being wounded would be used against him in the future. After all, he spent the majority of his time in the Med Bay insisting he was fine.

Glancing up, he looked towards the two Viszla’s. “Um, I’m Din Djarin. I... don’t have a clan either.”

There was no use hiding it anymore, he supposed. He fought back a wince as Mera and Jahno shot him curious looks, but they didn’t seem to be bothered by the information... actually, not even Khil and Jai seemed too surprised by it. 

Before Din could dwell on it any further, Khil spoke up from her spot across the room.

“Well, you know what they say. ‘Aliit ori’shya tal’din’.”

Yes, Din could agree with that. ‘Family is more then blood’.

The group of friends glanced at each other, sharing bright grins. Din found he couldn’t stop himself from giving a small smile of his own, which only increased the brightness of the others’ expressions. He noticed Jai give a small but approving nod to her sister before the subject changed once again.

“So....” Jai turned towards the group, amusement clear in her posture as she leaned back with her arms lightly crossed. “What are all your times for the obstacle course?”

A week later, and Din was finally, _finally_ able to leave the Med Bay and return to the Trainee’s Quarters. His relief was palpable to his friends, who had spent several long weeks attempting to keep him occupied in the dull, barren Med Bay. 

Of course, he was under strict instructions to not do anything too strenuous in training, but he figured he could overlook that for now. He would prefer to straight up ignore it, but he knew Paz would be watching him like the shriek hawk his clan was known for. Too bad.

Din was once more comfortably wrapped up in his armor as he made his way to the Trainee’s Quarters. Paz had joined him at the Med Bay in order to accompany him back, while Mera, Jahno, and Kina waited at their beds. He didn’t really think he needed an escort, but Paz insisted. 

When they first entered, nobody seemed to really notice. Kina and Mera waved from their beds, while Jahno gave a small mock salute. Din gave a small nod back, and steadily made his way towards his bunk. Unfortunately for him, Trainees soon began to notice his presence.

Briike was the first, glancing up and widening her eyes in surprise. She quickly gave him a small smile and a wave, catching the attention of a few nearby Trainees. Kal glanced up with a nod of acknowledgement, and a few others followed suit.

Din almost thought he was in the clear.

“YOOOO, THERE HE IS!”

Kriff.

Seemingly every rambunctious Trainee in the room quickly hopped of their bunks, running over to crowd around Din. He tensed, freezing in place as hands clapped his back and patted his helmet (and by the _stars_ was he glad to have his armor again).

“Dude, you’re an absolute legend!”

“Is there a scar? Can we see?”

“Is it true you knocked him out _after_ he stabbed you?”

“Of course it’s true you di’kut, he didn’t stab him after he was knocked out!”

Din, still frozen, tried taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. Paz flailed helplessly off to the side, having been separated from Din by the initial surge of boisterous kids. It was obvious he wanted to help, but didn’t know how.

“ _Enough!_ ”

Everyone startled and spun towards the sudden shout, finding themselves under the stern gaze of a certain purple helmed Trainee.

“Step away, or we’ll find out how much you all like be stabbed and over crowded.”

A soft, exasperated sigh came from next to her as Jahno lightly shoved his sister’s shoulder. “Bit much, Mera.”

“You think?” She turned inquisitively toward her brother before her helmet tilted in consideration. “Okay, yeah, I suppose your right. Oops.”

While there were a few amused snorts at the following discussion, the rowdy Trainees were intimidated enough to back up. Din appreciated the help, sending a thankful nod towards Mera and Jahno. They nodded back, and headed back to where Kina was snickering on her bunk.

Paz walked back to Din’s side, and he was about to head back towards his bunk before he stopped and sighed. Turning to face the now slightly more docile group of Trainees watching curiously from the safety of their bunks, he decided to answer their questions.

“Um... thanks, yes, no, yes, true.”

Paz snickered beside him as he turned and swiftly strode toward his bunk, ignoring the bright, satisfied grins of the other Trainees. 

Once he was at the safety of his bunk and out of earshot of the other Trainees, Din crouched next to his bed. Reaching through a hole in the bottom seams he’d made with one of his blades (and yes, one of them... he may have several extras stashed away), he pulled out the small box he kept extra supplies in. Sitting on the floor with his legs crossed in front of him, he carefully set the box down beside him. After a moment’s consideration, he reached back into the mattress and withdrew a second small box, this one empty.

“What are you doing?”

Din looked up to see Paz sitting before him, matching his cross-legged stance. He’d mostly forgotten the other boy was still there. That was a little... unsettling. So why wasn’t he mentally freaking out?

“Just doing a little supply check.” He nonchalantly responded. Strangely enough, he didn’t really mind Paz knowing where he kept his stash. Although, he supposed Paz had already known due to a certain.... pants incident that had occurred before they became friends.

Din paused for the briefest of moments as that thought sank in, before continuing as though nothing had happened. Wasn’t that a strange thought, that Paz had trusted Din to help him before they were even friends. It caused a little spark of warmth that he wasn’t previously aware of to grow slightly in his chest. 

Focusing on the task at hand, Din briefly glanced up at Paz before taking off his right boot and upending it. Several bacta patches dropped to the ground, and Paz blinked in surprise as Din replaced the boot and took off his left, upending that one as well. 

More patches fluttered to the ground. 

Din paused once more, steadily taking in Paz’s mildly surprised expression before casually reaching up to undo his chest plate. Without breaking eye contact (or as close as he could get with a helmet), he unlatched the metal and pulled it away from himself. Bacta patches cascaded to the floor, a roll of bandages bouncing after them.

Paz’s mouth opened and closed several times before he managed a stuttered, “What the-”

Reaching into the space between his gauntlet and his hand, Din retracted a small bottle of mild painkillers that he had uncomfortably wedged in. Setting them to the side, he ducked his head and pulled off his helmet, shaking his hair out as he lifted his head back up. With another mild glance at Paz’s pure look of shock, he stuck his hand in and withdrew a small bottle of bacta spray.

“Din!”

Din glanced up at Paz with the most innocent look he could muster, leaving the other boy to sputter as he swiftly returned his helmet. He responded with a casual shrug as he took stock of his new materials. “They held me prisoner with nothing to do in a dull, boring as absolute kriff Med Bay for weeks Paz. If they didn’t expect this, they should have.”

  
******

Paz’s mouth silently opened and closed a few more times before he settled on an exasperated huff. Turning his attention back to the pilfered goods, his eyes widened once more at the sight. Din had already packed everything neatly into the two small containers before them, everything packed perfectly into place.

“Okay, how.”

It came out as more of a demand then a question, but Paz couldn’t really bring himself to care. Din glanced up at him again, and he could feel the unimpressed gaze through the tinted visor. 

“I picked them up. And I put them in the boxes.”

Paz scowled, gesturing to the containers with a grumbled “Yeah, but they’re _tiny_. That’s too much stuff for a little box.”

Din’s posture straightened a bit as he snatched one of the boxes, spinning it to show Paz a small latch on one side. “And look! They can hang on my belt too.”

Paz stopped himself from startling a little at Din’s tone. He could swear, the younger boy sounded almost _proud_ of the small detail. Stifling a small smile, Paz nodded along with Din’s statement. “Yeah, that’s helpful. It’d be great for emergencies.”

Din nodded back, quickly stuffing the containers back into the bed. Standing, he stretched a little before quickly dropping his arms to his side, body tense. As quickly as it had come, Din casually dropped onto his bed and began taking off his armor. 

Paz inwardly winced, but was sure to show no outward acknowledgement of the scene as he dropped onto the opposite bed across from Din. He suspected Din’s wound was still bothering him, and wished the younger boy would take it easy. Unfortunately, he had his suspicions that Din would be doing his best at the exact _opposite_ of that. After all, he had missed several weeks of training.

As if on cue, Din spoke up from the other bunk. “So, how much did I miss in training?”

“Not much.”

Paz and Din both whipped their heads around at the new voice. Before them stood Cajan, the least annoyingly infuriating of the three Fal brothers. Din’s face visibly hardened, though he remained as impassive as ever. Paz suspected he was mentally cursing himself for removing his helmet with the rest of his armor. 

“We mostly went over stuff we’ve already learned. I think Silas didn’t want to continue without you.” The boy awkwardly continued, still standing at the foot of the beds.

Paz felt rage boiling within him at the casual way the other boy strolled up to talk to Din, the Foundling he bullied on multiple occasions. Heck, the boy’s brother had _stabbed_ Din! 

Before Din could say anything himself, Paz stood and crossed his arms. “What do you want?” He spat out, causing Cajan to shift uncomfortably. 

“Before you jump to conclusions, no, I’m not coming over to beg to be friends now, or something equally as stupid.” The boy pulled a mildly disgusted looking face, and Paz gritted his teeth to stop from whacking the other kid right then and there for even _suggesting_ such a thing. “I just figured Din deserved to know what happened with Goran.”

Watching Din from the corner of his eye, Paz noticed the small spark of cautious curiosity behind his guarded gaze. Returning his attention to Cajan, Paz gave a small nod. He had to admit, he was curious as well. Goran hadn’t been seen since Silas dragged him out of the training room on that fateful day. 

Cajan awkwardly glanced around once more before speaking. “Well, after you were- you know... he was taken to see the Armorer and his Apprentice, for punishment. He was indefinitely stripped of his Trainee title, and he was sent to a different tribe. They have- I guess they’re like our Medics, but for mental stuff.”

He paused glancing up at Din before setting his jaw and continuing. “He has some sort of a... they called it an ‘antisocial personality disorder’. He just.. he thinks a little differently, is all. They’re gonna keep him over there though, he’ll be trained eventually but he’ll also be given some extra help for.. mental stuff. Just figured you should know.”

Paz bit his tongue, glancing over at Din. The younger boy gave a slow nod, a mildly thoughtful expression on his face as he processed the new information. Giving a swift nod back, Cajan quickly left them alone.

Paz thought through what they had just been told. He was still incredibly angry at Goran, and he was pretty sure he would punch the kid if he ever saw his face again... but part of him wondered if it was really Goran’s fault. Whatever. 

He’d still punch him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra note: Goran having an antisocial personality disorder is not in any way meant to attack those who actually have it. I was in a psychology class at the time I wrote this chapter, and thought it was interesting how the disorder’s descriptions matched up with how I imagine Goran’s thought process in my head, and merely added it as a more realistic explanation for why he thinks/acts the way he does and why he was given help rather then thrown out. If this seems in any way offensive to anyone, please let me know in the comments and I will remove it from the story.
> 
> Mando’a Translations:
> 
> Aliit - Family
> 
> Ori’vod - older sibling 
> 
> Vod’ika - younger sibling
> 
> Buir - parent
> 
> Ba’vodu - aunt/uncle
> 
> Aliit ori’shya tal’din - Family is more then blood (a Mandalorian saying)
> 
> Di’kut - idiot

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone else wants to write a fic about young Paz and Din becoming friends, and possibly lovers... I would totally read and kudos... *wink wink*
> 
> In all seriousness though, I hope you enjoyed if you made it this far! The Foundlings being returned to relatives or taken in and raised by the Mandalorians was inspired by MissTeaVee’s fic ‘From Foundling to Father’ (I hope you don’t mind, I loved that thought though!)
> 
> Mando’a Translations: (please let me know if I miss any words)
> 
> Buir - parent (gender nuetral)
> 
> Ade - children
> 
> Cuy ogir’olar - it’s neither here nor there


End file.
